The Twelve Fucks of Christmas: A Wolfstar Story
by KeepCalmAndExpectoPatronum
Summary: On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a sex chequebook, of course. Sirius gives Remus an early Christmas present - a novelty chequebook with various sexy gifts to cash in. High-jinks, hilariously awkward situations and gratuitous amounts of sex ensue over a twelve day period on the lead up to Christmas Day.
1. Introduction

This story is set during the twelve days leading up to Christmas Day, 1985, in an alternate universe where Voldemort never rose to power. Of course, just because there's no Voldy doesn't mean life is perfect, as you will soon find out.

And I know some of you will be reading this thinking, hold up! The twelve days of Christmas doesn't begin until Christmas Day! I know, this will be addressed later in the story but it is a fairly common misconception. Anyway! Enough of my babbling, I'll let you get to the story. Enjoy :)


	2. Mister Padfoot Proudly Presents

"Merry Christmas, Moony."

Remus glanced up from the morning paper to find Sirius standing in front of him, beaming. _Oh, Merlin, he's got that look on his face when he's up to something_ , he thought woefully. He glanced at the date on the front page of the Daily Prophet and frowned.

"Christmas isn't for another couple weeks yet," he pointed out.

"Twelve days to be exact!" Sirius nodded vigorously as he proceeded to bounce on his feet, heel to toe and back again. He had his hands behind his back, hiding something.

"I have something for you," he said hurriedly, trying to suppress the excitement in his voice. "An early Christmas present."

"Oh?" Remus folded his newspaper in half and tossed it onto the coffee table. "You want me to open it now?"

"Oh yes," Sirius thrust a plain plastic bag into Remus' hands. Remus eyed him suspiciously.

"I hope this isn't going to explode in my face, Sirius. I'm really not in the mood," he warned, cautiously taking the proffered bag, half-expecting it to bite him. Their high jinks antics hadn't let up since they had graduated—if anything, Sirius had gotten worse in the seven years since they had left Hogwarts. Bracing himself, Remus tipped the contents of the bag into the palm of his hand. He was surprised (if not a little disappointed) when a small and innocuous-looking paper booklet fell out. Curious, he turned it over in his hand, his eyes immediately drawn to the bold red lettering on the front cover:

 _Sex Cheques - being in debt never felt so good!_

"What on earth is this?" he asked.

"Sex cheques!" said Sirius brightly. "I was Christmas shopping in Muggle London with Lily this morning—heads up, we've got Harry a set of Transformers toys; don't ask me what the hell they are, Lily just said he'd love them. We've also got James a deerstalker and a bottle of Dalmore whisky."

"Hilarious," said Remus drily, suppressing a smile.

"We also happened to pop into a Muggle sex shop while we were out—"

"As one tends to with their best friend's wife," Remus teased.

"She wanted my advice on a couple of things. You know I'm always happy to share my expertise on these matters," he winked exaggeratedly. "Mind you, I think Lily cottoned on quickly that I was taking the piss when I suggested that James would love a butt plug for his Christmas."

Remus chuckled, "Shame. He doesn't know what he's missing."

"Yeah, it's his loss," he shrugged. "Anyway, I was looking around the shop while I was waiting for her when I found this," he pointed at the chequebook in Remus' hand. "Twelve cheques, twelve days before Christmas, one cheque is valid per day. Pick your fancy."

Remus flicked through the small booklet, opening it at a random page. He snorted as he read aloud, "This voucher is valid in exchange for one blow job." He looked up at Sirius and gave him an appraising look, "You are a very naughty boy."

"Thank you," said Sirius happily, immensely pleased that Remus approved of his gift. Remus studied the book closely—it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary chequebook if the unusual small print didn't give away its true nature:

 _HOLDER: Will reimburse you the face value of this coupon provided it is redeemed by a specific consumer, namely,_ _Remus John 'Moony' 'Sex-on-Legs' Lupin_ _, at any time he so desires over the next twelve days of Christmas. Other consumers using this coupon are prohibited and restricted by the laws of love. Limit one coupon per day. For redemption, privately present to:_ _Sirius 'Padfoot' Black_ _._

Remus looked up at Sirius, "So, I get to pick whatever I want, whenever I want?"

"Whatever you want," Sirius confirmed silkily, sitting on Remus' lap and whispering in his ear. "Whenever you want."

Sirius' hot breath kissed the bare flesh of Remus' neck and he shivered as he felt goosebumps erupt across his skin. Yes, Remus was definitely ready and willing to partake in a little sexual mischief.

"Can I pick one now?" he asked hopefully. Sirius grinned like a Cheshire cat, his nimble fingers already undoing the top few buttons of Remus' shirt.

"Absolutely," he breathed. "Just tell me what you want, Remus. I'll give you anything you want…"

Remus found it difficult to concentrate on the contents of the booklet while Sirius sucked on his earlobe and he was unable to suppress a groan when his hand slipped under his shirt, the tips of his fingers lightly, but deliberately, brushing against Remus' sensitive nipples. Still, he persevered and perused the choices on offer, muttering to himself while Sirius continued his teasing ministrations.

"Let's see what we have here...that's a good one—I might leave that for Christmas Day...mmm, that feels good. Ooh, this one—no! This one! Damnit, it's so hard to choose…"

"Hurry up and choose something, Moony, before I end up fucking you here on this couch," Sirius groaned, pressing the outline of his erection into Remus' thigh. "If you really can't decide, you could always pick more than one?"

Remus shook his head and declined, "No, no. I'll play by the rules for once in my life. Just give me a minute."

Finally making up his mind, he pulled one of the twelve vouchers out of the booklet with a slight tug and thrust it into Sirius' hand. Sirius smacked an affectionate kiss to Remus' cheek before leaning back to read the cheque. His eyes darted across the writing and he smirked, "You want a lap dance?"

"I figured we were halfway there already," he replied huskily, giving Sirius' arse a tight squeeze and pulling him into a searing kiss. Remus breathed in the sharp citrus scent of aftershave on Sirius' warm skin and felt the familiar dizzying lurch of love and lust course through him. He sighed contentedly, pulling him closer. Merlin, even after all this time, each kiss always felt like it was the first time they had kissed. He was relieved to know at least this time Peter wouldn't burst through the door any moment and interrupt them.

Too soon for Remus' liking, Sirius pulled away and declared, "Then, your wish is my command!"

He jumped to his feet, drew his wand, and pointed it at the settee that Remus was sitting on. Remus yelped in surprise as the squishy sofa quickly transformed into a stiff wooden chair. Ropes also appeared, snaking around his hands, strapping him firmly in place before he could protest. Remus gaped at Sirius.

"What's this all about?" he shouted.

"I don't trust you to keep your hands to yourself, Moony, and lap dancing is a no-contact sport," Sirius replied lightly, pocketing his wand. Remus tugged against the bindings and grunted.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind…"

"Do you trust me?" asked Sirius seriously. Remus stopped squirming and relaxed back into the chair.

"Of course I trust you," he replied simply. Sirius gave him a warm smile.

"Then trust me when I say you're going to enjoy this," he reassured him. "If you're not too keen on this, we can always try something else?"

Remus considered the offer for a moment before shaking his head—he really did trust Sirius and he wanted to see where he was going with this.

"No, you still owe me a lap dance and I fully intend to get it," he sighed. "Please proceed."

"Excellent," Sirius cried brightly, practically skipping towards the living room door. Remus stared after him with growing bemusement.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"I need to get ready for my performance. I won't be long!" Sirius promised. He turned his head towards Remus and paused, admiring the sight of Remus tied to the chair. He leant against the doorframe and a dreamy smile spread across his face, "You know, I quite like seeing you all tied up. We'll need to try it out in the bedroom sometime."

"Maybe," said Remus slowly. "We'll see how this goes first."

"Well, then I better put on a good show!" he winked at Remus and disappeared from view, leaving his boyfriend alone, horny and helpless.

Remus settled back in the chair as comfortably as the ropes would allow, curious as to what Sirius had in store for him. He supposed he would be changing into something sexier than his casual clothes, although he thought Sirius looked sexy in whatever he wore—the stone-washed jeans and a leather jacket was his signature look. Granted, it didn't matter what Sirius wore, he always managed to pull it off—the man could wear a bloody tea-cosy and make it sexy.

Thinking about Sirius in sexy clothes, Remus wondered if he was going to come back dressed in his Frank N. Furter outfit again. He'd first worn it to one of James' Halloween parties a couple years back, much to their best friend's horror and amusement. Sirius took any opportunity to shock his friends, and if it showed off his arse, all the better for it. Not that Remus was complaining, his boyfriend had a lovely arse. Sirius had even consented to wearing the trashy corset and suspenders to bed a couple of times upon Remus' request.

Sirius had tried talking Remus into dressing up as Rocky for the party, but he'd refused...

 _"But I've already bought you the gold shorts!" Sirius protested, brandishing the obscenely small spandex briefs under Remus' nose. "Come on, Moony. We're supposed to be a team! I want to do a couples costume this year."_

 _"I've already got a costume," he explained patiently. Sirius gaped at him._

 _"What do you mean you've_ — _Who are you dressing up as?" he asked accusingly, crossing his arms._

 _"Indiana Jones."_

 _Sirius scoffed, "That's rubbish! You're basically wearing your own clothes with a fedora!"_

 _"That's not true...I've got a whip, too," said Remus lightly. Sirius paused._

 _"You have a whip?" he asked, sounding intrigued. A mischievous grin spread across Remus' face._

 _"I do," he confirmed, beckoning Sirius to follow him to the bedroom. "Would you like to help me give it a test run?"_

Sirius gained a newfound respect and admiration for Dr Jones after that night. Remus smiled fondly at the memory, half-hoping that Sirius would indeed wear his Rocky Horror get-up tonight. He rather liked the idea of bending him over the couch and fucking him senseless in those black, fishnet stockings…

Remus' cock twitched at the thought and he grunted, flexing his wrists against the ropes again. Merlin, he was getting himself all worked up and Sirius hadn't even done anything yet. And what the hell was taking him so long?

"Sirius, you haven't forgotten about me, have you?" he called out.

"Never!" cried Sirius from the other room. "I'll be there in a sec!"

Remus slouched back in the chair and sighed impatiently, then his ears pricked as he heard the familiar scratching of a needle against vinyl and the record player came to life. A few seconds of silence followed, then a staccato piano began to play. Remus recognised the song immediately and grinned—he had a fairly good idea what Sirius was about to do.

He turned towards the living room door which he now realised had been left open deliberately and, sure enough, Sirius slid into view a second later, dressed in nothing but a pair of white socks and a pink dress shirt. Despite having his back turned to Remus, he could still appreciate the sight before him—he lamented the fact that the shirt was just long enough to hide his boyfriend's perk arse, but he got a generous view of his long, toned legs. Sirius jutted his hip in time to the music before spinning on his heel to face Remus, a shit-eating grin spread across his handsome face as he gave him a mischievous wink—really, Tom Cruise had nothing on him.

Using his wand as a microphone, Sirius began to sing along with the music, crying loudly, "Just take those old records off the shelf! I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself..."

He proceeded to dance towards the fireplace, shaking his arse at Remus as he passed. Remus watched with amusement as Sirius rolled his hips and head in time with the music, singing his heart out as he performed a suspiciously well-choreographed dance routine across the small living room. After he had duck-walked passed the bay windows, he gracefully hopped on top of the sturdy wooden coffee table, kicking the magazines off with his feet in a dramatic flourish before leaping off the edge towards Remus. Dropping to his knees, he undulated his hips as he continued to play air guitar with his wand, his eyes closed as he sang, "Today's music ain't got the same soul, I like that old time rock 'n' roll!"

Remus raised an eyebrow as Sirius whipped his hair back and forth, seemingly oblivious to everything else around him—including Remus—only coming back to his senses as the music began to fade and the song ended. He opened his eyes and leant back on his haunches, smiling sheepishly at Remus.

"Whoops, got a bit caught up in the moment there," he laughed breathlessly, brushing his long hair out of his face.

"I'd applaud if my hands weren't tied up," Remus replied drily. He squirmed in his seat and huffed, "As talented a performer you are, Padfoot, it wasn't really what I had in mind when I asked for a lapdance."

"That was just the warm-up," Sirius assured him as he swished his wand casually over his shoulder and another familiar song began to play. The drum and snare burst from the vinyl player's small speakers as a sultry voice began to sing, _"_ _I knew a girl named Nikki, I guess you could say she was a sex fiend…"_

Sirius' cheeky smile turned predatorial as his left hand slowly trailed down the front of the thin cotton shirt, along the contours of his toned chest and stomach towards the growing bulge between his legs. Remus' eyes followed Sirius' hand movements closely, his cock twitching sharply as Sirius gripped the base of his own cock and began stroking it back and forth at a painfully slow pace. Desire pooled in Remus' groin as he watched Sirius' breath hitch and his jaw slacken at the sensation. He knew the look on Sirius' face well enough to know he was edging closer to climax and, sure enough, his hand began to move faster over his flush cock, but his intense gaze never wavered from Remus'. Although it was torturous being unable to touch himself, Remus enjoyed watching Sirius pleasure himself.

"Would you like me to continue?" Sirius asked huskily, still languidly stroking his cock. Remus swallowed hard, his mouth flooding with a spike of excitement.

"Please," he replied hoarsely. Like a panther, Sirius crawled on his hands and knees towards Remus, firmly placing his hands on Remus' knees and pulling his legs further apart, all the better to see the outline of his erection pressing against his tight trousers. He licked his lips and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Remus' shaft. Remus' breath caught in his chest at the sharp sensation of pleasure that shot through the tip of his cock to the rest of his body even at this slight contact. Sirius slowly got to his feet and pressed his crotch against Remus' knee and leaned closer, circling his hips in time to the music. Splaying his fingers through Remus' sandy brown hair he brought their mouths close together, barely brushing their lips together before swiftly pulling away again as Remus leaned forward to kiss him. Remus groaned in frustration and tugged against the ropes again, desperate to touch Sirius but unable to do so. This teasing was as intoxicating as it was infuriating.

Sirius turned his back on Remus and positioned himself between Remus' spread legs, swaying his hips from side to side, bumping and grinding his arse against Remus' crotch, smiling to himself as his boyfriend's hips bucked forwards, lifting his hips as high as his constraints would allow, trying to press his erection into Sirius' arse. For a man famed for his patience and control, he was showing remarkably little restraint this evening.

Turning to face Remus again, Sirius ran the palms of his hands up Remus' thighs towards his groin at a torturously slow pace, pausing just an inch away from the erection tenting his tight trousers. Remus bared his teeth in frustration and snarled, "You're such a fucking tease, Padfoot."

"You love it," Sirius whispered, picking his wand up off of the floor. He pointed his wand at Remus' trousers and asked, "These trousers don't hold any sentimental value, do they?"

Remus frowned with confusion, "Not particularly."

Sirius grinned, "Oh, good. _Incendio_."

Remus shouted in protest as his cord trousers suddenly burst into flames. Mercifully, there was no heat to the fire and the bright orange flames extinguished just as quickly as they had arisen, leaving him naked from the waist down. He looked daggers at an amused-looking Sirius.

"You're really fucking ballsy tonight, you are," he snapped. He stared down at himself and grumbled, "Was it really necessary to burn my boxers off as well?"

"It was imperative, Moony, that I get you naked as quickly as possible," said Sirius with mock seriousness, tossing his wand onto the nearby coffee table. Taking a firm hold of Remus' shoulders he straddled his hips, positioning himself so that their erections pressed together. Remus' annoyance dissipated as quickly as it had arisen, and when Sirius began deliberately thrusting his hips back and forth, the hot bare flesh of their cocks sliding against one another in a delicious friction, he forgot that he had been angry at all.

Remus couldn't help the whimper that escaped his lips as Sirius moved his right hand between their legs and began lightly tugging on his ballsack. The combined stimulation of their erections rutting together, each forward and backward stroke sending waves of pleasure up his cock and through his entire body, was pushing Remus dangerously close to the point of no return. Unable to use his hands but desperate to give Sirius some pleasure of his own, he leaned forward and gently sucked the sensitive spot on the left side of Sirius' neck—a weak point of his that he knew always drove him crazy. Sure enough, Sirius moaned approvingly and his movements became increasingly erratic.

Remus was only vaguely aware of the music still playing in the background; all he could hear was the beating of his own heart in his chest and Sirius' ragged breaths as he rutted back and forth on his lap, the sounds he was making were sweeter than any music. Remus' breathing became increasingly laboured as the pulsing pleasure in his groin teetered towards its peak—he wouldn't last much longer at this rate.

"More?" asked Sirius quietly, still rocking back and forth.

"More," Remus begged roughly, taking a gentle, teasing bite of Sirius' shoulder. "I want you to fuck yourself on my cock."

Sirius groaned and swiped his tongue over Remus' ear, whispering, "Fuck, I love it when you talk dirty."

"Fuck me now and I'll talk to you like a little slut," he promised, his voice low and sultry. Sirius happily obliged, quickly casting a silent lubrication spell on himself before lowering onto Remus' cock. He easily slid inside, taking his full length into his body in one swift downward motion. Remus and Sirius both gasped at the intensity of the sensation, Sirius' fingertips digging almost painfully into Remus' shoulders. Remus' breaths came out in short, sharp pants as he struggled to compose himself. Sirius' sexual ministrations had already pushed him so close to climax that even the slightest movement might tip him over the edge. He clenched his eyes shut and took deep, steadying breaths as Sirius peppered light kisses across his cheeks and stroked his hair, waiting patiently for Remus to ready himself.

When his breathing finally began to even out, Sirius pressed his forehead against Remus' and looked at him with an expression as tender as it was wanton.

"Ready?" he asked softly. Remus leaned forward and stole Sirius' breath with a passionate kiss. Taking that action as the affirmative, Sirius began rolling his hips on Remus' lap in time to the music, slowly at first, relishing the feeling of Remus' thick cock sliding in and out of his body, each time brushing against his prostate upon reentry. Remus let out a shaky breath and tipped his head back, losing himself in the sensation of it all.

"Mmm… I fucking love it when you ride me like this," he whispered.

"Yeah?" asked Sirius teasingly, a look of challenge in his eyes. He began bouncing up and down, causing the chair to creak loudly, "How about that?"

"Yessss, keep doing that," Remus pleaded, his voice becoming increasingly strained. Remus began tentatively thrusting his hips upwards to meet Sirius' downwards motion, knocking soft grunts of pleasure out of Sirius as he did so, "Fuck, you feel amazing."

"Tell me more, Remus," Sirius implored. The music had stopped playing now, the only sound emanating in the otherwise silent room was skin slapping against skin, the creaking of the wooden chair as its legs lightly knocked back and forth on the worn rug, their ragged breaths, Remus' filthy words… "Keep talking dirty to me, baby, it makes me so hard…"

"I want to watch you play with yourself," Remus' low voice rumbled as his breath became increasingly laboured. "That's it. Take a firm grip of your cock and pump it as you fuck yourself on me."

"God, Remus, I never knew you had such a filthy mouth," said Sirius appraisingly, taking his cock in one hand as he continued to bounce up and down on Remus' lap. "Tell me more…"

"I want you to fuck me 'til I can feel that sweet hole of yours clenching around my cock."

"Fuck yeah," he groaned. "Keep talking…"

"I want you to cum all over me," said Remus roughly. "I want your jizz all over my stomach and my chest. Fuck, I want it all over my face."

"Oh god…" Sirius whimpered, his jaw slackened and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Oh god, oh god…"

"I'm gonna come so hard that you'll feel my cock pulsing inside of you."

"Remus…" Sirius' voice was shaking as badly as his thighs now, a light sheen of sweat covered his body making the thin cotton shirt cling to his body. Remus knew it wouldn't take much to make him come now. He looked Sirius square in the face, Sirius' steel grey eyes wide and pleading. He wanted to see him come apart at the seams, wanted to be the cause of it, even if he hadn't even laid a finger on him.

"Fuck me harder," he commanded, pistoning his hips up and down as fast as he could. He clenched the edges of the chair for more purchase and thrust upwards as fast as he could, "Use me like your little fuck toy."

"Oh, fuck!" Sirius choked. He thrust himself down on Remus' cock as he came, streaks of come shooting across the front of Remus' half-buttoned shirt. The mere sight of Sirius coming finally pushed Remus over the edge; he felt his balls tighten and white light flared behind his eyes as his orgasm crashed over him like a tidal wave, so intense that he struggled to catch his breath. He was gasping for air as his body tensed and finally relaxed again, all tension fleeing his body as quickly as it had gripped him. His head lolled back and he sighed, a far-away look in his bright amber eyes. Yes, a lapdance had been a smashing idea, after all.

Sirius collapsed against his chest, exhausted and uncaring of the sticky mess cooling between them. Remus closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the post-orgasmic afterglow that coursed through his body. It was only after that began to wane that he noticed that the ropes that had previously bound him had magically disappeared. He wrapped his arms around Sirius and held him close, pressing an affectionate kiss to his neck and smiling as he felt his boyfriend shiver beneath his lips.

"Did you enjoy that?" slurred Sirius. Remus nodded lazily. He felt a little punch-drunk, his movements slowed and stilted as he nuzzled his stubbly cheek against Sirius' shoulder.

"We're definitely using ropes in the bedroom in future," he murmured. Sirius chuckled, resting his chin on Remus' shoulder.

"You talking dirty was fucking hot," he breathed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Remus smiled.

"Although…" Sirius began slowly, leaning back to look into Remus' face, his expression serious. "Talking dirty was actually on one of the vouchers, so you've used up two of them, already."

"Not necessarily. Does the voucher stipulate that I talk dirty or that you do?" Remus countered. Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment then he grinned.

"You're right! I'm the one who has to do the dirty talking next time. You're in luck, Moony, you still have eleven valid vouchers to use," he said cheerfully. He smacked a wet kiss onto Remus' cheek before hopping back onto his feet. "I'm off for a bath, you're welcome to join me if you like?"

Remus smiled, "Yeah, that sounds nice." He raised his hand and Sirius helped pull him to his feet before tugging him towards the stairs in the direction of the bathroom.

"Think long and hard about what voucher you want to use tomorrow, yeah?" said Sirius brightly. "I think the next twelve days are going to be very interesting!"


	3. Moon and Stars

The last place in the world Remus wanted to be on a cold and dreary Saturday morning was sitting surrounded by various star charts and an uninterested student. He would much rather be in bed having a long lie in with Sirius, but unfortunately, they had bills to pay. The Davies family had hired him six months previously to teach their son, Roger, every Wednesday and Friday and alternate Saturdays. He was a bright enough student, but today neither of them were in the mood for academics. Remus glanced at his watch and sighed—it was only ten-thirty. Merlin, this morning was dragging. He bet Sirius was still snuggled up in their cosy bed, dead to the world... lucky bugger.

Knowing that he'd have trouble finding anyone willing to hire him once he'd disclosed his condition, Remus had decided to become self-employed and had taken up tutoring shortly after graduating from Hogwarts. It was only meant to be temporary, of course, but seven years later here he was, still teaching wizarding children. He was busiest in the summer months when children came back from Hogwarts for the holidays, but a few wealthier families hired him to teach their children year-round.

Not that he didn't enjoy teaching; he had wanted to be a teacher for as long as he could remember. He'd even asked Dumbledore before graduating if there was any possibility of him staying on at Hogwarts, even if it was just on a substitute basis, but the old headmaster had said that, regrettably, there were no positions available to him for the time being. He promised to keep his name on file if there was ever an opening on the teaching staff, but Remus wasn't going to hold his breath:as a rule, once you got a post at Hogwarts, it was as good as a lifelong appointment, and positions didn't become available that often.

Still, Snape had managed to nab the Defence Against the Dark Arts post as soon as he had graduated. _Fair enough_ , Remus had relented at the time. It was, after all, Snape's specialist subject. He honestly couldn't think of anyone better for the post. He had been slightly less forgiving however when two years later Regulus had been appointed Potions Master. Despite having two years of teaching experience that Regulus did not, Sirius' younger brother was given the job instead. Remus strongly suspected that his lycanthropy and not his ability to teach had been the reason he had been sidelined for the position—the reason he would always be sidelined.

He glanced up at his student and wasn't surprised to see him staring wistfully out of the bedroom window, his chubby chin rested on his hand. He felt a pang of sympathy for the boy, most children his age from Wizarding families would be out playing with their friends, flying on broomsticks and chasing gnomes in their back gardens. Roger Davies' parents, however, wanted to give their son a head start in life and had hired tutors to teach him since he was four, preparing him for a life at Hogwarts years before he was even due to receive his admissions letter. Remus appreciated Mr and Mrs Davies' position—if his own parents had been able to afford extra tuition, they would have gladly arranged it for him—but he also remembered being a boy of seven, who wanted nothing more than to spend all of his time outside, playing with the other children in the village, climbing trees, swimming in Lake Semerwater...

Remus could empathise with Roger's situation more than most: he knew all too well what it was like to be cooped up in a house, staring enviously out from the confines of his bedroom window at the big wide world—unexplored territory he was desperate to discover—but being unable to do so. Every few days of the month for as long as he could remember, Remus had stared miserably out of his own bedroom window, watching as the world passed by, refusing to wait for him.

He looked down at the musty old star maps and shook his head. This wouldn't do.

"This is rather boring, isn't it?" he asked lightly. Roger was startled out of his daydream and blushed.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I _was_ listening, honest…"

"It's quite alright," Remus assured him, rolling up the star charts and stuffing them back into their cardboard tubes. "Staring at a piece of parchment doesn't really do the night sky justice, I'm afraid. I have a better idea in mind if you'll humour me?"

Roger frowned at the request then, after a moment's consideration, he nodded. Remus got to his feet and Roger followed, standing next to his tutor. The boy watched with interest as Remus drew his wand and, with the flick of his wrist, the writing desk and chairs slid to the opposite side of the room against the wall and the heavy silk curtains drew shut, plunging the room into darkness. Remus lay down on the wooden floor and Roger stared at him, confused.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"I've had enough of reading boring old books and maps," he replied. "And I don't want to be stuck in this house anymore, so I'm going on a trip. Care to join me?"

He patted the floor next to him and, after a moment's hesitation, Roger lay on the ground next to Remus, lacing his fingers together and resting his hands on top of his belly. He stared up at the blank ceiling.

"What now?" he asked.

"Let's take a little journey across the stars, shall we?" said Remus cheerfully, tracing his wand in a wide arc across the ceiling. Roger gasped and stared wide-eyed with wonder as his plain bedroom ceiling was suddenly transformed into a beautiful night sky, a perfect replica of the view from his bedroom window on a cloudless evening. The stars and planets shimmered like diamonds as they moved silently across the ceiling. Lying flat on the floor surrounded by stars, it felt as though they were floating in outer space.

"Cool!" he exclaimed. Remus grinned.

"I'm glad that you approve. Now, you know that you'll be expected to study the night sky when you're at Hogwarts for a variety of reasons—it's essential for Divination and Astronomy lessons to learn the names of stars and the movements of planets. Today, however, we're going to learn how to use the night sky as a celestial navigation aid."

"What's that?" asked Roger.

"Basically, I can teach you to use the night sky like a map," Remus explained. "If you ever get lost, learning how to read the night sky will help you find your way back home again."

"If I got lost, wouldn't I just use magic?" he asked.

"You can't always rely on magic to get you out of trouble," he countered gently. "You might end up in a situation where you can't use magic. This is just a useful back up if such an unlikely event were ever to arise. Besides, I thought this would be a more interesting way of learning than reading maps."

"Yeah, this is better," Roger nodded in agreement. Remus and Roger stared up at the night sky and marvelled at it in silence for a few seconds before Remus raised his hand and pointed at a small cluster of stars directly above them.

"Can you tell me the name of this constellation, Roger?" he asked. Roger shook his head. "It's called Orion," he explained. "The Hunter. Its seven brightest stars form a distinctive hourglass-shaped asterism, or pattern, in the night sky. For now, we're going to focus on the three largest and brightest stars within the constellation. Do you see them?"

"Yep."

"Can you tell me what these three stars are commonly known as?"

"Orion's Belt?" Roger asked uncertainly. Remus nodded.

"Correct. Now, look a little down below the centre star of the belt," he instructed. "You'll see three more stars in a vertical line. Can you tell me what they're called?"

"Umm…" Roger looked uncertain and shrugged. "I don't know. Sorry."

"That's alright," Remus assured him gently. "Most people don't know that one. Those three stars are known as Orion's Sword. When Orion's sword is tilted to the left and low on the horizon…" the starry night sky lurched forward suddenly into the position Remus described. "We're facing east. When it is upright and higher in the sky…" the map shifted again in a dizzying surge that made Remus feel as though he were tumbling forward on a rollercoaster. "Then we're facing south. If the sword is tilted to the right and low on the horizon, which direction do you think we're facing?"

Roger scrunched up his face in concentration before answering firmly, "West."

"Correct," Remus nodded approvingly. "The same principle applies when finding North with the Sun, but for now we'll focus on the night sky…"

Remus explained to Roger the different positions in the night sky, how depending on the severity of the sword's tilt determined how far to the east, south and west you were facing. Roger listened attentively, his dark eyes following the path of the stars as they trailed across the ceiling. Roger may be easily distracted at times, but when he was interested in the lesson he was a quick learner.

"If you follow the belt of Orion to the left…" Remus pointed towards a bright star adjacent to the constellation. "You'll bump into a very bright star-"

"That one's called Sirius!" Roger exclaimed excitedly. "I know that one. It's the brightest star in the night's sky."

"Yes, he is," Remus smiled fondly, his thoughts wandering to his boyfriend again.

"He?" asked Roger curiously. Remus shook himself from his pleasant revery and cleared his throat.

"I mean...yes, you're quite right, Roger. Sirius the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the night sky," he continued. "Can you tell me which constellation it's part of?"

"Canis Major."

"Very good," Remus nodded curtly. "And the common name for Canis Major is…"

"The Greater Dog," Roger replied, a smug note in his voice.

"Wow, today's lesson looks exciting!"

Remus and Roger both looked up to see Mrs Davies standing in the bedroom doorway, watching them with mild interest. Where Roger was short and pudgy, his mother was tall and thin, almost sharp in her appearance. She stood stiffly by the door with her fingers laced in front of her hands in the same fashion as her son. Evidently, this was a mannerism he'd picked up from his mother. The only other thing Roger seemed to have inherited from his mother was her mousy brown hair.

Roger made no attempt to move but Remus quickly climbed onto his feet and stepped towards her.

"We were finding reading the star charts a bit...dry, so I thought I'd try and make our Astronomy lesson a little more engaging," he explained. "Learning can be both fun and informative."

"Indeed," she replied distractedly, looking passed Remus towards her son. "Roger, dear, you have a Healer's appointment this afternoon. Lessons will need to finish early today."

Roger groaned and crossed his arms, "I don't want to go!"

Mrs Davies ignored her son's protests and turned her attention back to Remus, fixing a false smile on her face, "Don't worry, you'll still be given a full day's pay, we've sprung this on you at short notice. I know money must be tight at the moment."

She cast a disparaging look at Remus' appearance and he had to bite his tongue in an effort to suppress a retort. His clothing might be old, but he always made an effort to dress smartly when he went to work. Instead, he gave her a strained smile in return. He didn't like Mrs Davies very much, but the woman helped pay the bills; he wasn't inclined to be rude to a paying customer.

"Thank you, Mrs Davies, I appreciate it."

"I was wondering if you would be able to work next week as well? I'd like you to get Roger up to speed with his Astronomy lessons before the Christmas break," she drawled.

"I usually take the week before Christmas off…" he began slowly, but thinking how he could use the extra money to get something extra special for Sirius' Christmas gift, he relented. "Sure, I can come by next week, too."

Remus practically skipped down the short path towards the wrought-iron gate exiting the Davies' Edwardian terrace house, pleased to have the rest of the afternoon to himself. Pulling the squeaky gate closed behind him, he paused, looking up towards Roger's bedroom where he expected to see the little boy waiting for him. Sure enough, Roger opened the window and leaned out.

"Bye, Mr Lupin!" he bellowed, waving furiously at him. "See you next week!"

"Roger, get back from the window! It's dangerous!" Mrs Davies' muffled cried emanated from inside the house and Remus smirked, waving back, "See you later, Roger."

Remus shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets to protect them from the biting cold and marched down the pleasant suburban estate, trying to decide how he should spend the rest of his afternoon. Maybe if he Apparated home now, Sirius would still be in bed and he could slip in next to him for a bit. He checked his watch for the time and shook his head: it was almost midday, Sirius would probably be up by now.

He should probably get some Christmas shopping done, he still had to buy something for Peter and a couple of stocking fillers for Sirius. He needed to grab something for dinner as well, what did he fancy for dinner tonight..?

He hoisted his heavy satchel back onto his shoulder and grimaced as a dull pain throbbed across his shoulders and neck. He rubbed the back of his neck gingerly and sighed; stooping over those star charts all morning had done his spine no favours. Remus stopped dead in his tracks as, suddenly, a brilliant idea came to mind. He rummaged through his satchel for the chequebook Sirius had given him the previous evening and flipped through it, looking for one page in particular. He was sure he'd read it in here…

"Aha!" he exclaimed triumphantly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He knew exactly how he'd like to spend his free afternoon—hopefully, Sirius was ready and willing. He just needed to go shopping for supplies first.


	4. Tenderly

"Honey, I'm home!" cried Remus in a mock singsong voice. Kicking the front door shut with his heel, he hobbled into the cottage, his arms laden with bags. Sirius popped his head out of the living room door, his confused frown quickly transforming into an expression of delight at the sight of his boyfriend.

"You're home early!" he grabbed a couple of bags from Remus without prompting and took them into the living room. "What's all this, then?"

"I got an early release from my duties today; the Davies' son has a Healers appointment," Remus explained, dumping the rest of the bags carelessly onto the couch. "I took advantage of the free time to do the last of our Christmas shopping."

"What did you get?" Sirius asked excitedly, poking his nose into the nearest bag. "Anything for me?"

"Yes, so don't go poking around," Remus warned lightly, snatching the bag out of Sirius' reach. Sirius pouted, pretending to be disappointed.

"You're no fun, Moony. I want to see what you've got me."

"You'll find out in a few days' time," Remus reminded him, then added, "Well, I did get a _little_ something for us today."

Sirius looked intrigued, "Oh? And what would that be?"

Remus thrust one of the plastic bags into his hand along with one of the cheques. Sirius' eyes darted across the words on the cheque and then he peered inside the bag. He looked up at Remus and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Naughty masseur role play?"

Remus nodded, "You up for it?"

"I'll go grab my wand," Sirius said, hurrying out of the living room with the bag of supplies still in hand.

* * *

Sirius asked for a few minutes to set up the bedroom for their game, so Remus took this opportunity to hide his Christmas present in the pantry. He knew Sirius wouldn't be able to resist peaking in the bag if he left it out and Remus did most of the home cooking, so he wasn't likely to find it in the small walk-in cupboard in the kitchen. When everything was hidden, Remus waited patiently in the corridor. When Sirius said he was ready, he knocked politely on the bedroom door.

"Come in!" Sirius' muffled voice called from within. Remus stepped into the bedroom and took a moment to appreciate the effort Sirius had gone to in making the room look like a massage parlour: the storage chest at the bottom of the bed had been transfigured into a leather massage table with a fluffy white towel draped over the top of it, and the curtains were drawn, and the many lit candles bathed the room in a warm, inviting glow. Transfiguration had always come naturally to Sirius; it was really quite remarkable what that man could do with a wand. Sirius had even gone to the effort of changing his clothes, wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting trousers.

 _Typical_ , thought Remus fondly. _He even manages to make plain clothes look sexy._

Soft music played quietly in the background and Remus' heart tugged with affection as he recognised it immediately.

"Chet Baker," he said gently. "You know me so well, Sirius."

"I'm not sure what you mean, sir, I don't think we've ever met before," he replied lightly. Remus rolled his eyes. Of course, they were supposed to be in character—Sirius took his roleplaying seriously.

"Sorry, I must be mistaking you for someone else," Remus held out his hand to Sirius. "I'm Remus. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Sirius grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake. "I'm Sirius. So, what brings you here today?"

"Well," Remus sighed heavily and flexed the muscles in his shoulders and neck. "I've been getting a lot of pain in my back, lately."

Sirius frowned, looking concerned, "Really? Can you show me where?" Sirius stepped forward and rested his hands gently on Remus' shoulders. "Here?" Remus nodded and Sirius' hands slid down his back, resting on his slim hips. "What about here?"

"Yes," said Remus confirmed quietly.

"And...here?" Sirius whispered into Remus' ear, his voice low and husky. He shivered a little as Sirius' hands slid lower again, cupping the globes of his arse. Remus nodded mutely and Sirius took a step closer, pressing their bodies together. Remus could feel Sirius' erection pressing against his own and he had to resist pushing his hips forward to increase the contact. Sirius slowly slid his hands across Remus' hips and over his groin. Remus hummed softly and closed his eyes, enjoying feeling Sirius this close to him. Sirius gave Remus' cock a slight squeeze and pressed his lips to his ear.

"You're very tense," he noted, his breath hot against Remus' flushed skin. "May I recommend the full body massage? It's important to release tension from the body for the betterment of one's health."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Remus replied hoarsely. "If you think it's good for my health."

"Oh, absolutely." Sirius moved his hands towards the hem of Remus' shirt. "If you could remove your clothes and lie face down on the table, please, we can begin our session. Would you like some help removing your clothes?"

"Please," Remus nodded. "It's difficult taking my clothes off, you see. Because of my sore back."

"Of course." Sirius began stripping Remus out of his clothes, unbuttoning his shirt and slowly peeling it off of his shoulders to reveal his slim, pale chest. He unzipped Remus' trousers, letting them fall in a pile at his ankles. Hooking his fingers around the rim of Remus' boxers, he paused, "You know, you can keep your underwear on if you feel more comfortable but I recommend being completely nude for a more effective massage."

"Better take them off, then," Remus smirked. Sirius slid his boxers off and instructed him to lie face down on the massage table. He even took the time to collect the clothes off of the floor, folding them in a neat pile and placing them in a nearby chair.

Remus lay down on the table and placed his head into the face cradle. Sirius draped a small hand towel over his rear and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked softly.

"Ready."

Sirius gave Remus' shoulder a light squeeze before withdrawing his hand.

"I'm going to begin by massaging the top half of your body; I noticed there was a lot of tension in your neck, shoulders and back," Sirius squeezed a liberal amount of massage oil onto the palm of his hand. "Take slow, deep breaths as I work on your back, it'll help you relax."

Remus felt like a shot of electricity bolted up his body as Sirius' hands, now slippery with oil, pressed into the small of his back and glided upwards towards his neck. The sweet smell of coconut and vanilla filled his nostrils and he closed his eyes, breathing in the delicious scent. Already he could feel tension he didn't even realise was in his body begin to ease as Sirius' slick hands skated across his skin in long, even strokes applying varying degrees of pressure to his shoulders and back.

"Mmm, you're really good at that," he murmured, already feeling a little sleepy. Sirius chuckled.

"I should be, I've been doing it for years," he drawled. His hands moved lower, kneading the bottom of Remus' back in short, circular strokes. "Would you like me to go lower?"

"Yes, please," Remus mumbled, letting out a long sigh as he relaxed into the bed, feeling the tension melt from his body through Sirius' fingertips. Merlin, this felt good. He'd have to make this a more regular occurrence in future. Sirius peeled back the towel to expose Remus' arse before folding it neatly in half and setting it on the nearby bed. After lathering up his hands with more oil, he set to work massaging the top of Remus' thighs, paying particular attention to the globes of Remus' arse.

"You must have a stressful job," he observed, giving Remus' arse a tight squeeze. "You carry a lot of tension here."

"You have no idea," he chuckled, then his breath hitched as Sirius' fingers slipped—probably, most definitely, on purpose—between his cheeks.

"Have you ever had a massage before?" Sirius asked conversationally as his fingertips continued to periodically glide over Remus' entrance, causing Remus to let out a needy moan every time his finger made contact with his puckered ring. Even the slightest touch sent a sharp shot of pleasure up his spine and into his cock.

"N-no," he managed to force out. "This is my first time."

"Well, I'm glad you trusted me to be your first," said Sirius silkily. He gave Remus a light pat on the bum, "That's your back done. If you could lie on your back I'll start working on your front."

Remus quickly rolled onto his back, letting his arms fall limp by his sides, his cock already half-hard and resting on his flat stomach. Ever the tease, Sirius glanced at Remus' growing erection but concentrated on massaging Remus' chest and stomach instead. Every so often his fingers would lightly graze the tip of Remus cock, muttering his apologies for being so careless.

"It's alright," Remus assured him, his voice a little strained. "Actually, I uh...I'm feeling quite tense in that area."

"Yes, I can see that," Sirius nodded, his dark grey eyes dragging over Remus' body with a lustful expression. "Did you know that the muscles located in the groin area are a repository for stress?"

"Are they now?" asked Remus interestedly. His breath hitched again as Sirius lightly traced his fingers over his flush shaft sending a pleasant shiver through him like an electric current.

"Would you like me to help relieve your stress?" asked Sirius nonchalantly, swiping his thumb over the head of Remus' cock. Remus couldn't help the quiver that rippled through his whole body, only managing a mute nod in response. Sirius, his hand still slick with oil, gripped Remus' cock firmly at the base and began slowly working his hand up and down the shaft. Remus bit back a moan and gripped the fluffy towel beneath him tightly.

"Relax," Sirius crooned, his hand deftly working up and down Remus' achingly hard length. "We're supposed to be relieving your tension. Just enjoy yourself. Remember to take deep, long breaths, in and out, that's it…"

Remus let out a long breath and his legs fell further apart as he relaxed. Sirius took advantage of the opening and began massaging Remus' balls to the same rhythm he pumped his cock, up and down again in long, smooth strokes, each time eliciting a delicious shaky moan of pleasure from Remus. Soon, his breathing became increasingly laboured, his head spinning as Sirius stroked him closer and closer to release. The tension in his groin grew and a tingling sensation spread up his body, making his toes curl. Sirius' hand moved faster now, in tandem with Remus' breathing. His mouth was slightly ajar, eyes half-lidded with desire as he watched Remus come undone at his fingertips. Remus' nails dug into the towel beneath him as his head began to swim in a thick fog of desire, the hot coil of pleasure in his cock and abdomen rising in him, catching his breath. The slickness of Sirius' hands on his cock and balls, the way Sirius looked at him—like he wanted to devour him—it was too much for Remus. He couldn't hold off any longer…

"F-fuck, Sirius…"

Sirius groaned happily and pumped Remus over the crest of his orgasm, savouring the low, desperate noises spilling from Remus' lips as his back arched off of the bed, his come splashing over his stomach and Sirius' hand. Sirius slowed and loosened his grip as Remus softened in his hand. Snatching the small towel off of the bed, he carefully mopped the come off of him and Remus, a contented expression on his face.

"I take that you enjoyed that?" he teased, tossing the soiled towel into the washing basket in the corner of the room. Remus huffed out a tired laugh and ran a hand over his face, basking in the post-massage and post-orgasmic afterglow.

"Couldn't you tell?" he joked. "Do you do that with all of your clients?"

Sirius sniggered, "Never. You're the first."

"Well, you've certainly earned a generous tip," said Remus silkily, reaching out to squeeze the prominent bulge tenting Sirius' loose-fitting trousers. Sirius grinned and swiftly pulled off his trousers and t-shirt, his erection standing proudly only inches from Remus' face—clearly, he enjoyed giving Remus pleasure.

"So, where would you like me?" he asked keenly. "You want to swap places?"

Remus shook his head, "No, I have a better idea." He turned onto his belly and placed his head back onto the face rest, beckoning Sirius forward. "I want you to fuck my mouth through the face rest."

Sirius chuckled, "My my, Moony, your mind is as filthy as it is creative."

"You love it," he replied in a low voice. "Come over here and fuck my mouth already."

Sirius didn't need telling twice. He tilted his cock downward, guiding it under the face rest then canting upwards towards Remus' expectant mouth. Remus closed his lips around Sirius' cock, savouring the feel of the sweet, swollen flesh filling his mouth. He sucked lightly, experimentally, extracting a shaky breath from Sirius. Sirius gripped the edges of the massage bed to steady himself and began thrusting his hips up and down, his cock sliding in and out of Remus' hot, wet mouth.

"Oh fuck, that's dirty," he rasped. Remus made needy sounds and he sucked harder, his tongue periodically massaging the throbbing shaft then swiping across the tip over and over again. Finding a rhythm, Sirius sped up his thrusts, trying his best not to choke Remus, but he was quickly losing his composure, he couldn't hold back the orgasm rushing towards him.

"Oh shit, I'm coming…" he gasped. Digging his fingernails into the soft leather of the massage table he gave one last deep thrust as he came, his legs shaking so badly he nearly dropped onto the floor, overwhelmed by the pleasure coursing through his body, his cock pulsing into Remus' mouth as he swallowed down his come greedily.

Sirius' legs finally gave out and he sank to his knees, resting his forehead against the edge of the bed, panting hard as he struggled to catch his breath. He tried to stand but quickly gave up that idea; he felt as though someone had performed a Jelly-Legs Jinx on him.

"Christ…" he whimpered. "It felt like you were french kissing my dick."

Remus wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and propped himself up on his elbows, smiling at Sirius.

"I take that you enjoyed that?" he teased. Sirius looked up at him, slipping his hand through Remus' soft hair and cradled his neck, his expression one of lustful admiration.

"You know I love your mouth," he purred. "Especially when it's wrapped around my cock."

"You're not too bad at it yourself," Remus smirked. "Maybe you could return the favour some time?"

"Gladly," he smiled warmly and pulled Remus into a languid kiss. Remus kissed back with equal enthusiasm, already forming an idea of when and where Sirius could return the favour, but he could save that for tomorrow. For now, he was content to stay exactly where he was.


	5. Slippery When Wet

"Psst. Moony...you awake?"

"No."

A few moments of silence followed, "Are you awake now?"

Remus groaned and turned his back on Sirius, pulling the quilt back over his shoulder to shield him from the cold. It was Sunday morning and too early to be doing anything in Remus' opinion. It should have come as no surprise to anyone that knew him that he had always been more of a night owl—or wolf, werewolf...whatever. Sirius, however, had always been an early riser. The fact that Sirius was so chipper in the morning was something that Remus had learned to cope with over the years.

"I'll make you a cup of tea," Sirius offered brightly, pressing a kiss into Remus' hair. Remus smiled to himself and snuggled into his warm pillow. Okay, maybe his boyfriend being a morning person had its benefits.

The weight on the bed shifted as Sirius got to his feet. Remus, his eyes still closed, listened to Sirius' footsteps as he padded across the bedroom towards the window.

"Merlin's balls, it's freezing in here," he grumbled.

"I'd suggest you put some clothes on but I'd much rather you stayed naked and just came back to bed," Remus suggested lightly. There was a ruffle of curtains and then Sirius gasped.

"Moony!" he cried. "Check it out!"

"Unless someone's left a cauldronful of Galleons on our doorstep or David Bowie's frolicking naked in our begonias, I'm not moving from this bed," he declared.

"Oh, it's better than that!" said Sirius excitedly, leaping onto the bed causing Remus to bounce into the air. "There's at least three feet of snow out there!"

"And?"

"And?" Sirius sounded indignant. "Where's your sense of fun and adventure? We need to get out there before the kids get all the good snow first!"

"Get the good snow?" asked Remus irritably. "Where are they going to take it, exactly? And what kids? We live in the middle of nowhere!"

"I don't know, the kids from the village," he said quickly, waving his hand dismissively in the air. Remus doubted that very much; the nearest village was at least five miles down the road. Pulling his arm free of the warm covers, he grabbed blindly at the bedside table for his watch.

"What time is it…?" he squinted at the hands on the watch and groaned in annoyance before tossing it at Sirius. "What are you playing at? It's half six in the bloody morning!"

"I know!" Sirius cried. "We better get a move on!"

"Piss off."

Sirius bit his lip and gave Remus' shoulder a light shake, "Come on, mate. What if it melts by the time we get out there?"

"I'm sure the snow will still be there in an hour's time," he countered, propping himself up on his elbows, "Come back to bed."

Sirius shook his head and jumped back to his feet, "No can do. You stay in bed if you like, I'm going to make a start on making my snow fort. I'll meet you out there."

Remus gaped after Sirius as he pulled on a jumper and strode from the bedroom. He sighed and flopped back onto the bed. This wasn't how he'd planned on spending his Sunday morning.

Ten minutes later, Remus was trudging knee-deep through the snow, missing the warmth and comfort of his bed. That said, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful everything looked: the sky was a clear cerulean blue, the air so cold that Remus' breath came out his mouth and nose in great white plumes on each exhale. The rolling fields surrounding their remote little cottage were coated in a blinding sea of white, and he took a strange satisfaction from the subtle crunch of snow underfoot as he strode up the hill that overlooked the nearby lake. They swam in it on hot summer's days, but today it was frozen solid, shimmering and sparkling in the low winter sun.

Neither could he suppress a smile as he watched Sirius, in his dog form, bounding through the blanket of freshly lain snow like an excitable pup. The snow drifts were so deep in some places that every so often his shaggy black form disappeared from view to reemerge moments later as he leapt into the air, shaking his furry mane furiously trying to dislodge the lumps of snow that clung to his coat. They made their way up a steep hill towards a large oak tree that they always passed on their long walks, its denuded black form stood starkly against the strikingly white snow. It was a great picnic spot in the summer months, and Remus remembered fondly the last time that they had invited the Potters here. Harry, James and Sirius had enjoyed flying around the tree on their broomsticks while Remus and Lily watched them from below as they darted in and out of sight between the leafy branches.

Sirius circled the old oak tree, his large wet nose sniffing the damp bark then surreptitiously raised his back leg against the trunk.

"Padfoot," Remus shouted. "Don't you dare!"

The dog immediately transformed back into human form, Sirius doubled over with laughter at the indignant expression on Remus' face.

"I was only joking!" he cried, wiping tears from his eyes.

"A likely story," said Remus accusingly, although his expression was playful. "Padfoot...what's that you've got all over your face?"

Sirius frowned and touched his cheek, "What is it?"

Remus flicked his wand and a large snowball splatted Sirius in the face. Remus laughed as his boyfriend spluttered and staggered back a couple of steps, spitting out a mouthful of snow. Sirius looked momentarily incensed before he grinned broadly and drew his own wand.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that!" he cried gleefully, launching a snowball in Remus' direction which he only just managed to avoid by ducking behind the oak tree for cover, his feet slipping and sliding beneath him. Within seconds the air was thick with snowballs, several splatting against the tree trunk while several more hit their intended targets, striking arms and legs, their bodies and heads, exploding on impact and showering each man in crystalline fragments that glinted in the wintery light.

Remus tried to make a run for it by dashing back down the hill, laughing breathlessly as Sirius launched an obscenely large snowball at him. It struck him square on the back with such force that it knocked the wind out of him and he fell face first and spreadeagle onto the ground, the deep snow mercifully breaking his fall.

"I win!" Sirius yelled, punching the air triumphantly. Remus rolled onto his back and spat snow out of his mouth. He squirmed as ice slid underneath the collar of his jacket and down his back.

"Fuck, that's cold!" he cried.

"That's the point!" Sirius laughed, pulling Remus back to his feet. "So, do you concede defeat?"

"Do I hell!" he scoffed, rubbing a stitch in his side. "This is a temporary armistice. I just need a minute to get my breath back."

Sirius grabbed his hand and tugged him back in the direction of the hill, "I've got a better idea."

When they finally reached the top of the steep hill, Sirius rifled through his pockets and pulled out a crushed chocolate frog box and tossed it carelessly onto the ground. Pointing his wand at it, he cried _"_ _Glacies Biga"_ and the box began to grow in size and transform into a small, wooden toboggan. With another flick of his wand, a plump red cushion appeared on top of it. Slipping his wand back into its holster he sat on the toboggan and patted the space in from of him.

"Climb aboard, Remy!"

They spent quite a bit of time sliding down the hill then charming the toboggan to drag them back up the top of the hill again. Over and over again, they skited down the snowy slope, the bitingly cold wind whipping their hair and slapping their bare cheeks as they screamed and laughed on each descent. When they'd had enough of that, they set to work building Sirius' snow fort, carving magnificent turrets of ice surrounded by a moat of frozen ice. They even went to the trouble of sculpting a snowman to guard the fortress. Of course, Sirius couldn't resist making a couple anatomically correct additions to the snowman, fashioning pubic hair from twigs and sticking them in the snowman's snow balls. They took a few steps back and admired their handiwork.

"A masterpiece," Remus declared. Sirius nodded in agreement, looking immensely proud of their creation.

"Aren't you glad that I dragged you out of bed?" he asked, bumping their shoulders together.

"Don't push your luck," Remus warned lightly. "Shall we head back home? The temperature's dropped a bit."

"Sounds good," said Sirius, hooking his and Remus' arms together as they headed back home. Remus frowned at Sirius and paused.

"Christ, Siri, you're freezing cold," he said, a worried note in his voice. Sirius waved his hand dismissively.

"I'm fine," he protested, but Remus wasn't fooled. He pulled off a glove and touched Sirius' cheek, sucking in a breath at how cold he was. He patted down Sirius' jacket and shook his head, "Your clothes are soaking wet, why didn't you say anything?"

Sirius shrugged, "I was enjoying myself too much to take notice. Mind you, running about in my dog form probably wasn't such a clever idea..."

Drawing his wand, Remus pointed it at Sirius' clothes and hot air streamed out of the tip, steam rising from his shoulders as his clothes began to dry off. Sirius patted down his clothes and gave Remus a warm smile.

"Much better, cheers."

Remus hooked their arms together again, "Come on, let's get you home and warmed up properly before you catch a chill."

Remus sat Sirius by the log fire with a quilt wrapped around his shoulders while he ran them a bath. Their cottage wasn't very big, but the bathroom was one of its few luxurious highlights. He filled the large clawfoot bath with bubbles and scented oils before calling to Sirius.

"Bath's ready!" he cried, stripping out of his clothes and climbing into the bath. Sirius appeared a minute later with the quilt still wrapped around his shoulders. Remus spread his legs apart and looked up expectantly at him, "Aren't you getting in?"

Sirius grinned and dropped the quilt to the floor, quickly shedding the rest of his clothes before stepping into the steaming hot bath between Remus' legs. He let out a low hiss as his body sunk beneath the surface, a look of sheer contentment spreading across his face.

"This feels amazing," he sighed, resting his head against Remus' chest, sinking lower into the water until it reached his shoulders. Remus snatched a bar of soap from the nearby soap dish and dipped it into the water.

"I can think of something that'll make it even better," Remus suggested silkily. "Sit forward a bit."

Sirius leaned forward and Remus brushed his long, damp hair off of his shoulders before he began lathering the soap over his back. Sirius groaned and flexed his neck and back, the muscles tensing and relaxing under Remus' touch.

"Oh, Moony, you know how to treat a boy right," he crooned. Remus shrugged.

"You always take care of me," he said softly. "I want to return the favour."

Sirius was always on hand to help Remus whenever he needed it—all of his friends were. The Marauders had been there throughout their school days to help him through his monthly transformations, even learning to become Animagi so that they could keep him company when he was in werewolf form. When they had graduated from Hogwarts, Remus and Sirius had moved into the cottage together—in part because it was so cheap, but more importantly because it was isolated; isolation meant safety to Remus, he wanted to keep people a safe distance from himself and his monstrous curse. When they had first moved into the cottage he had been afraid that Sirius wouldn't be able to manage him on his own—he'd always had James and Peter there as back up. He'd asked him whether he was certain that he felt safe being with him, said that he shouldn't feel obliged to live with him if he didn't want to, to which Sirius had promptly told him not to be so bloody stupid and not to ask him that again.

Of course, Sirius managed fine on his own. He had always known better than the other two how to deal with Remus during his transformations. Then, everything changed a year later with the creation of the Wolfsbane Potion. Not a cure, but something that made his transformations bearable: at least he now had control of his mind even if he couldn't control what happened to his body. Sirius could now accompany a wolfish Remus on long walks in the surrounding fields but sometimes he still turned into a dog so they could run and play together.

Even with the Wolfsbane Potion to ease his symptoms, the days after a full moon always left Remus feeling exhausted. He'd awaken curled up on the floor, naked, cold and sore. Before the creation of the Wolfsbane Potion more often than not he'd wake up with cuts and bite marks all over his body, too. But Sirius was always there waiting for him to tend to his wounds, at first at The Shrieking Shack and then later when they moved into the cottage together. He would pick up his shivering form and lower him into a steaming hot bath and wash him because he was too weak to even do that much. It became their monthly routine; Sirius never complained, he was always tender and caring of Remus' needs and he was more grateful than he could ever put into words. The best way he could show his gratitude was in small acts of love: to make him food when he was hungry, to hug him when he was sad, to run him a bath when he was cold.

"I forgot to say," said Sirius suddenly, snapping Remus from his thoughts. "James and Lily's Christmas party is this Saturday."

"Hmm, that should be fun," Remus replied with a small smile. "Is Wormy going? We haven't seen him in ages."

"I imagine so...things are always hectic at the bank this time of year, but he's never missed a party."

"It'll be good to see him," said Remus thoughtfully. "Who else is going?"

Sirius shrugged, "Marlene, Alice and Frank...the usual."

"Snape?"

Sirius pulled a face, "I hope not. Probably will though, slimy git."

Remus sniggered, "You don't have to talk to him, you know. There'll be plenty of other people at the party."

"I know," he groaned. "It's just...I don't know how Prongs puts up with him; he hates him as much as I do."

"He puts up with him for Lily's sake," Remus explained for what felt like the millionth time.

"Why though?" asked Sirius irritably. "He's such an arse!"

Remus shrugged, "I suppose it's like that with childhood friends, isn't it? We're more willing to forgive each other's transgressions because of our long history, and because we love them. None of us are perfect, Sirius, we know that better than most."

Sirius scowled but said nothing. Remus suspected that he was thinking back to their fifth year when Sirius had tricked Snape into visiting the Shrieking Shack while Remus was there in his transformed state. It was only James' quick thinking that night that had saved them all—saved Snape from death, or a fate worse than death in the eyes of some. Saved Remus from becoming a murderer. Saved Sirius from his own stupidity. He massaged Sirius' tense shoulders, trying to distract him from his morose thoughts.

"Water's getting cold," Sirius pointed out, leaning out of the tub to reach for his wand. He dipped the tip under the surface and the lukewarm water was suddenly piping hot again. Tossing his wand back onto the floor, he closed his eyes and sighed. He leant back against Remus' chest, the heat relaxing his stiff muscles, "Mmm, that's better."

"Hmm, I can think of something that would make this bath even better," said Remus in a low, sensual voice, his soapy hands trailing lazily down Sirius' arms and across his broad chest. Sirius' eyes flew open as he felt Remus' growing erection nudge against his arse cheeks.

"Enjoying yourself back there?" he teased gently.

"Mmhmm…" Remus traced his fingers across Sirius' chest. "I think this is a perfect opportunity to use another one of my vouchers."

"That can definitely be arranged," Sirius confirmed softly. Leaning over, he snatched his wand off of the floor again and cried, " _Accio_ sex chequebook!"

The chequebook soared through the air and into Sirius' outstretched hand. He lay back against Remus' chest, pressing his arse more firmly against Remus' erection. Remus groaned and took a firm grip of Sirius' hips, savouring the feeling of his boyfriend's slippery body pressed against his own. Sirius flicked through the chequebook, trying to act composed as Remus' dick slid between his arse cheeks and prodded his entrance.

"Let's see what we have left— oi! Careful with that thing," he chastised gently. Remus chuckled and pressed a line of kisses along Sirius' long neck.

"Sorry. What are our options?"

"Well...we've got a few to choose from: a handjob, a quickie...logistically food play would be quite awkward—ooh, you're in luck!" Sirius pulled one of the vouchers out of the booklet. "Shower sex."

"We don't have a shower," Remus pointed out. Sirius shrugged.

"We're in water, a bath's basically the same thing," he argued, discarding the booklet and wand onto the floor.

"I agree," Remus replied, sliding his hands up from Sirius' waist and across his chest, sucking the sensitive spot on Sirius' neck that always made his toes curl. Sirius moaned and closed his eyes.

"Mmm, I'm the one who's supposed to be pleasing you," said Sirius breathlessly. Remus' fingers grazed lightly over Sirius' nipples and he delighted in the shiver that traversed his whole body.

"Giving you pleasure gives me pleasure," he purred, placed another soft kiss on Sirius' neck. He gave the erect nubs a slight squeeze and smiled to himself as Sirius moaned and his back arched. This time it was Remus' turn to moan as Sirius began grinding his arse against his erection in slow strokes, back and forth.

Releasing Sirius' right nipple from his grip he ran a soapy hand down across his stomach, lower beneath the surface of the water and took a firm grip of Sirius' cock, already achingly hard. Sirius let out a shaky moan as Remus stroked his hand up and down his hot shaft, still teasing his left nipple all the while, rolling the erect nub between his index finger and thumb. Sirius' gasps and moans reverberated off of the tiled walls, the delectable sounds making Remus' head swim with desire.

Sirius thrust his hips forward into Remus' fist, his breaths coming out in short, hard pants as his orgasm drew closer. The undulating movements of Sirius' hips against his own length sent jolts of pleasure pulsing through his body and it was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything else but the feeling of his impending orgasm, his movements and breaths becoming increasingly erratic. He pumped Sirius' cock faster, his soapy fingers flying across his slick length. The water sloshed and slapped against their skin in tandem with their movements, spilling over the edge of the bath and flooding the bathroom floor, but neither man cared. They were too consumed with the feelings, with each other, to take any notice.

"Oh oh oh oh…" Sirius' stifled moans sent another wave of lust coursing through Remus. Fuck, he wanted to hear more…

"God, I love it when you're noisy," he said in a low, seductive voice, licking the shell of Sirius' ear in one long stroke of his tongue. "It makes my cock so hard to hear you moan like a whore."

He gave Sirius' nipple a slight tug and Sirius threw his head back against Remus' shoulder, incoherent words and moans spilling from his lips as he came. It was enough to push Remus over the edge and the hot tension that had been coiling in the pit of his stomach finally released and a powerful orgasm washed over him in a great tidal wave of pleasure that he'd gladly drown in.

As their orgasms subsided, they lay there in the now lukewarm water, feeling boneless and pleasantly dazed. When Sirius had regained his breath and his faculties, he glanced up at Remus with a contented expression.

"We might need to run another bath to clean ourselves up," he mused. Remus smiled and wrapped his arms around Sirius' waist, pressing a kiss into his hair. Another bath sounded like a lovely idea.


	6. The Perfect Distraction

Monday was usually a busy day for Remus; his mornings would be spent tutoring the Johnsons' daughter, Angelina—a smart girl whose mind was more occupied by Quidditch than Arithmancy—and in the afternoons he would head over to the Warringtons' to get their young son, Cassius, up to speed with his lessons in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. But as it was technically the start of his Christmas holidays, he had the whole day to himself. It was a rare occurrence and one that he enjoyed immensely. After a long lie in in bed, he had made himself a tasty breakfast (scrambled egg on toast with bacon, his favourite) before heading into London to meet with James, Lily and Harry for the afternoon.

After a quick shopping trip to Diagon Alley, they popped into Florean Fortescue's to buy Harry an ice cream. They had asked if he was sure that's what he wanted considering it had been snowing, but he was unwavering in his decision. Remus decided to treat himself to a chocolate ice-cream too, and so the four of them made their way back to Muggle London to one of the nearby parks, cones and Christmas shopping in hand.

In this weather, the park looked picturesque: the trees, benches and pathways were hidden under crisp, untouched snow. Several other families and young couples were out enjoying the beautiful surroundings, too; they passed a number of people who were out walking their dogs and building snowmen. The heavy snowfall and cold weather had chased away the birds and instead of the usual sound of bird calls and cars rumbling passed the park, all Remus could hear was the soft crunch of snow underfoot and laughter from a group of strangers nearby engaging in a snowball fight. He took pleasure in the false sense of isolation and eerie calm at that moment—you would never think that they were in central London.

"This is Daddy's park," Harry declared cryptically, licking his sticky fingers clean of the remnants of his melted treat then wiping his hands down the front of his winter coat.

"Is it?" asked Remus curiously. Harry nodded.

"Daddy says so."

"That's right, son!" James interjected, slapping Remus on the shoulder. "Don't you know, Moony? Everything in this park is mine: the geese, the pelicans, the ducks…"

"Even the squirrels?" Harry inquired, looking up expectantly at his father. James grinned.

"Exactly!" he said brightly. "Everyone thinks this is the Queen's park, but she's just keeping an eye on things for me."

Remus glanced at Lily for clarification and she rolled her eyes, "This is St James' Park."

"Ahh…" Remus smiled and nodded in understanding. "Then by all accounts, I have a strong claim to the holy city of Rome."

James scoffed, "I lay my claim to one park and you have to go one better and bagsy a whole city."

"You better not mention this little game of one-upmanship to Sirius otherwise he'll try and argue that he owns the whole sky," Lily teased.

The three friends chatted as they wandered through the park, stopping every so often when Harry saw a squirrel or Lily needed to rest her feet. Pregnancy had been more challenging this time around; she insisted that she could take swollen hands and feet in her stride, but needing to pee constantly was, in her words, 'a pain in the arse'. Despite the physical discomfort, the Potters were excited to welcome another member to their small family.

Harry was more hyperactive than usual (Probably thanks to the ice-cream, Remus thought) and was running circles around the three grown-ups, trying to coax his father into chasing him.

"I'm the snitch Daddy, you need to catch me!" he cried, running off in the direction of a nearby pond filled with ducks. James sighed and passed his shopping bags to Lily.

"Sorry, love," he smirked. "Duty calls. You better run, boy! I'm coming to get you!"

Harry squealed and laughed hysterically as James sprinted after him along the waterfront and between the trees, scaring several ducks and pigeons in the process and they scattered, flying away in all directions. Remus and Lily walked slowly behind them, following their screams and laughs as they wandered along the winding path around the duck pond. Lily cast Remus a knowing smile.

"I've got something for you," she said lightly, trying to suppress her amusement. She rummaged through her handbag and pressed a glass vial into Remus' hand. He peered closely at the wispy silver liquid inside the vial and looked up sharply at her.

"Is this what I think it is?" he asked hopefully. Lily's grin broadened.

"It is," she confirmed. Happiness swelled up inside his chest and he pulled her into a tight hug, bumping lightly against her large belly in the process. When he released her, he looked at the proffered gift with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?" he crooned, carefully placing the precious vial deep inside in the breast pocket of his coat.

"Not nearly enough," she joked. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you how much trouble I had trying to find that memory."

"I can only imagine," he sympathised. "Honestly, I don't know how to repay you…"

"Oh, don't start, Remus," she chastised gently and they set off walking down the path again. "Bring some of your chocolate fruitcake to the party on Saturday and we'll call it even. Seriously, my craving for chocolate has easily kept Honeydukes in the pink these last eight months."

Remus smiled and nodded in agreement, "Making you a cake is the least I could do. I'll make you two."

Lily grabbed his arm and gave it an affectionate squeeze, "My hero. Thank you."

"Uncle Remy!"

Harry waved at Remus from further up the path where he and James had started building a snowman. He felt a wave of affection wash over him as he watched his best friend and a boy he'd grown to love and care for as if he were his own son play together in the snow. A twinge of longing and, strangely, of emptiness filled the pit of his stomach at the perfect scene before him. Watching Harry and James, he felt as though he were behind a glass window, merely observing a life that he had always wanted. Despite being invited to outings like this with his friends, the truth was, he was merely a visitor—an observer—looking in at a life he craved but which he could never have.

His expression must have matched his feelings because Lily gave his elbow a gentle squeeze.

"Are you alright, Remus?" she asked. He shook his head clear and fixed a smile onto his face.

"I'm fine," he lied easily. Lily, however, didn't look convinced. Feigning sore feet, she beelined for a nearby bench and pulled Remus to sit down next to her, leaving her husband and son to build their snowman in peace.

"You seem a little down," she pointed out. "How have you and Sirius been getting on?"

"Well enough," he sighed. "Well, we never have enough money and there aren't many well-paying jobs out there for people like me, but that's nothing new."

"Sirius isn't on holiday yet?" she asked. "I was hoping to see him today, too."

Remus shook his head, "Not until Christmas Eve, I'm afraid. He's sorry he couldn't make it today, but he couldn't turn down the overtime."

"I know how difficult it can be," she commiserated. "There were a lot of nights when my mum and dad struggled to put food on the table, and Christmas is such an expensive holiday. When Tuney and I were old enough, we got jobs over the summer and Christmas holidays to make extra money."

"It's supposed to get easier when you get older," he mused. Lily let out a dry laugh.

"Anyone who says that doesn't have kids."

Remus smiled and cast a furtive glance at Lily's swollen belly, "Some might say that two kids will make it twice as difficult."

"Probably," she acknowledged lightly. "But I believe there's no such thing as too much love."

"Very true," he relented.

"So...is it something that you and Sirius would ever consider?" she chanced. Remus frowned at her.

"What? You mean having children?"

"Yeah, why not?" she shrugged. Remus' jaw tensed.

"It's a nice idea," he replied noncommittally, hoping that Lily would take the hint and drop the subject.

"But not something that you'd seriously consider?" she pressed on. Remus lowered his gaze, staring fixedly at his hands clenched into fists on his lap.

"You know that's not feasible," he replied quietly.

"And why not?"

"You know why."

Lily placed her hand gently on his arm, trying to be reassuring but it only served to irritate him further, "There are other options that you and Sirius could consider...a surrogate. Adoption, even—"

"You know that's not what I meant," he snapped. Lily dropped her hand by her side and looked at the ground, the colour rising in her pale cheeks.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Remus turned away from her, guilt and anger swelling inside of him at her well-meaning and meaningless words of reassurance. He looked over at Harry and James and the same deep longing rose up in him again.

"You think I don't want what you have?" he asked, his voice strained. "You think I don't wonder what it would be like? I know that Sirius would be a great dad…" he gave a careless shrug. "Still, we have Harry. He's like a son to both of us."

"You'd make a great dad, too," she offered.

"A good father wouldn't knowingly subject their child to my condition," he argued firmly.

"Remus, don't speak about yourself that," she admonished. "You're a good man. You deserve to have all the same things in life that James and I do."

"What we deserve and what we get aren't the same thing," he pointed out grimly. "I didn't deserve to get bitten when I was a child, but it happened anyway. The least I could do is to stop the cycle of misery from continuing."

His stomach felt like it was all twisted in knots and he couldn't bear to look at his friends in case he might cry or say something in a fit of temper that he would regret. Right now, he had to get as much distance between them as possible. He glanced at his watch but he didn't register what time it was. Rising to his feet he took a step back from Lily, "Look, I better make tracks. I'm meeting Sirius after work."

Lily looked despondent, "Remus, please don't go. I'm sorry I upset you..."

"You didn't," he reassured her even though she had, because she hadn't meant to. "I'll see you guys on Saturday. I promise I'll bring cake."

He quickly waved James and Harry off before turning on his heel and Disapparating away from the park and his friends and that infuriatingly sympathetic, sad look she drew him like he was a wounded animal in need of comfort. He didn't want her pity—he didn't deserve it.

He needed a distraction.

* * *

Remus marched through the Atrium towards the elevators like a man on a mission. He'd arrived over an hour earlier than he'd intended, but he decided to chance his luck and made his way down to the Auror Department to see if Sirius could leave a little earlier today. As he expected, the Auror's Office was bustling with activity; he saw Fabian and Gideon Prewett in the far corner of the open plan office chatting animatedly to one another while Frank Longbottom sidled back into the office nose-deep in a report of some kind and a serious expression on his face. Several other officers that Remus recognised but didn't know by name hurried back and forth without drawing him a second glance, too busy trying to handle the sudden upsurge in cases, as was a traditional occurrence for the festive season.

Sirius and James had their own private office at the far end of the room, so Remus made his way across to it, knocked once and slipped inside unnoticed by anyone. Sirius was sitting at his desk looking miserable, parchments piled all over his desk.

"If Mad-Eye's chasing me up on the Riddle case, he's going to have to wait," he grumbled without looking up. "I've got overdue reports coming out of my arse at the moment—"

"I certainly hope not," Remus quipped, and Sirius' head snapped up, his surprised expression quickly transforming into one of elation.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes," he tossed the parchment aside and pulled Remus onto his lap to kiss him. "You've no idea how happy I am to see you right now. Today has been a fucking nightmare."

"The feeling's mutual," Remus sighed, pulling Sirius into a tight hug. Sirius leaned back and gave Remus a searching look, his expression serious again.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sounding worried. "You're looking a bit down."

"I'm fine," he lied, then relented, "Okay, I'm not fine. I'm just having a rough day and I was rather hoping there was a chance of you getting out of here a bit earlier. I could do with using up one of those wonderful vouchers right about now."

Sirius' eyes immediately lit up with interest, then his shoulders sagged. "I can't. Mad-Eye's riding my arse hard at the moment to get these reports done. I'll need to get them finished before I can call it a day."

"No fair," Remus pouted, giving Sirius' crotch a playful squeeze. "Riding your arse is my job."

"Don't I know it," he murmured, rolling his hips against Remus' hand. He glanced at the office door and bit his lip. "I mean...I can't leave the office 'til I'm finished, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything."

Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"What's on offer?" he chanced. Remus smirked and pulled the chequebook out of his satchel and flicked through their choices.

"Well, logistically a couple of these are a little awkward to perform in your place of work," he began nonchalantly. "But I think a blow job or a quickie is more than manageable."

Sirius' eyes darkened and he drew Remus a predatory grin, "I must admit, I've always fantasised about you giving me a blow-job in the office."

"Really?" Remus replied silkily, already tugging on Sirius' belt buckle. "Well let me make your dreams come true." Sirius, however, held Remus' wrist and he paused, "You want to do something else?"

"I want to do you first," Sirius explained. Remus felt like all the blood in his body rushed towards his groin as Sirius swiftly pushed him off of his lap and onto the swivel chair before sinking to his knees. He looked up at Remus with a hungry, almost feral, expression as he roughly pulled Remus' trousers and boxers down to his ankles. His steely gaze fell from Remus' eyes towards his erection and he licked his lips in a manner that Remus thought was as obscene as it was sexy. He couldn't wait to have those expert lips wrapped around his length, but then a thought suddenly occurred to him...

"Before we start...shouldn't we lock the door?" he suggested. Sirius drew him a wicked grin.

"The risk of getting caught is half the fun," he teased, taking Remus' cock firmly in hand. Remus couldn't deny that the thrill of getting caught made his cock even harder, so submitting himself to enjoying the moment, he pressed his head back against the leather backrest of the chair and pulled Sirius' lips towards the tip of his cock.

Sirius gently pulled back the foreskin to reveal the head, licking his lips greedily at the sight of Remus' shiny pink tip mere inches from his mouth. His eyes flicked up to look at Remus and, keeping their gaze fixed on one another, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to the tip before dipping his tongue into the slit, lapping the head of his cock like the cat who got the cream. Remus groaned softly as Sirius took more of his length into his mouth, wrapping his lips around the head and giving it a light suck. With his right hand wrapped around the base, he gave it an experimental squeeze before dipping his head forward, engulfing Remus' cock in wet heat.

Remus panted softly, his mouth slightly ajar as he watched with lustful fascination as Sirius' lips, shiny with saliva, bobbed up and down over his flush shaft.

"Fuck, you're so good at that," he whispered appraisingly, slipping his hand through Sirius' soft, black hair. "You look so sexy like that, on your knees with your lips wrapped around my cock."

Sirius hummed appreciatively, sending pleasurable vibrations up Remus' cock. Remus groaned and his grip tightened in Sirius' hair.

"You like it when I talk dirty, don't you?" he teased. "You love it when I tell you that you're my little slut."

Sirius' grey eyes glazed over and he moved faster, pulling another wanton moan from Remus' lips, "Yesss, that's it. Fuck me with your mouth, just like that…"

Remus began lightly bucking his hips upwards into Sirius' needy mouth, his breaths coming out in short, fast pants as Sirius sucked him closer to completion.

"I want to watch you wank yourself as you suck me off," he said in a low, commanding voice. "Get your dick out."

Sirius eagerly complied. Using his free hand, he yanked his trousers and boxers down passed his thighs and took his own throbbing member into his hand, pumping it back and forth to the same rhythm as his lips as they ran up and down Remus' cock.

"God, you look amazing like that," he breathed, gently stroking Sirius' hair. He stared fixedly as Sirius pumped his cock, producing slick, wet sounds which made his balls ache with want. "Fuck...I want to bend you over the desk and take you right here, right now—"

 _Knock knock._

Remus cursed as the office door burst open and Kingsley Shacklebolt strode in without waiting for a response. Quickly wheeling the swivel chair forward, he unceremoniously pushed Sirius under the desk and out of sight. Sirius grunted in annoyance and pain as Remus' knee accidentally struck his face and he bumped the back of his head on the underside of the desk. Mercifully, Kingsley was too busy consulting his paperwork when he entered the office to take any notice of the commotion. He slammed the office door shut behind him and strode over to the desk.

"Sirius, could you take a look at the—oh. Hello, Remus," Kingsley finally looked up from his paperwork and he paused, staring at Remus for a few moments with a confused expression. He was surprised to see Sirius' boyfriend sitting at the desk, looking a little flustered but with a polite smile fixed on his face.

"Afternoon, Kingsley," Remus greeted him brightly, inching his seat as far forward as he could in the hopes that the other man wouldn't see that his trousers were around his ankles. "How can I help?"

"I uh…" Kingsley frowned and scanned the room with a confused expression. "Sorry, where's Sirius?"

"He had to pop out of the office of a minute," Remus lied. "Arthur Weasley needed a hand with something, I think."

Kingsley raised a sceptical eyebrow, "Arthur Weasley, eh?"

"Yeah, not sure what it was about. He said he'd be back soon, though," Remus continued nervously, trying his best to maintain eye contact with the man. Kingsley was ideal for the Auror programme. He may have been soft-spoken but with his tall stature and broad shoulders, he cut a rather imposing figure. Kingsley crossed his arms and glowered at him.

"Well, he'd be pretty hard pushed to give Arthur a hand with anything today considering Arthur's off for the Christmas holidays at the moment."

Remus' heart missed a beat.

"I...uh…"

"Did he pop out of the office to pester Bertha Jorkins again?" asked Kingsley irritably. Remus had a split second to decide what response would cause the least amount of fallout.

"Yeah, he did," he replied uncertainly. Kingsley tsked and rolled his eyes.

"In the name of Godric...I'll tell you what I told him: Bertha can't get hold of the tickets to the Quidditch World Cup for at least another month," an amused grin suddenly spread across his face. "I know that for a fact because I already asked her for tickets myself this morning."

Kingsley chuckled heartily and the tension in Remus' body eased a little. He smiled and let out a shaky laugh. "Right, of course."

"He shouldn't worry that he's going to miss out. Bertha knows that Sirius and James are Quidditch nuts, so she'll be sure to keep a couple of tickets aside for them," Kingsley said assuringly. "Can you tell that to your boyfriend, please? Maybe he'll listen to you more than me."

"Oh, I doubt that. You know what Sirius is like; he doesn't listen to anyone once he's set his mind to something," he joked. Kingsley laughed loudly, drowning out Remus' grunt of pain as Sirius kicked him in the shin for his cheek. Kingsley placed a bundle of parchment on the desk, then stilled as his eyes fell on Sirius' wand still sitting on the desk. He glanced from the wand to Remus, who tried to keep his expression impassive even though his heart was pounding in his chest.

A look of dawning flashed across Kingsley's face, but he just smirked and cleared his throat, "When he gets back, could you tell Sirius I left this paperwork here for him? I just need him to look over a few things for me."

"Yeah, no problem," Remus nodded curtly, baring his teeth in a forced smile. Shaking his head, Kingsley waved him off and left the office. As the door snapped shut, Remus let out a long sigh and sunk back into the chair, his nerves shot. Sirius' head popped out from under the desk, his hair sticking out in all directions.

"Merlin, that was a close one," he said breathlessly. "Good thing it wasn't Mad-Eye who came in, otherwise we'd be in a world of trouble!"

Remus scoffed, "Speak for yourself! I'm not the one who works here. Besides, I'm fairly certain Kingsley knew you were still here."

"How?" he asked, looking aghast. Remus picked up his wand and handed to him. Sirius bit his lip and he took it from Remus.

"Ah, shit," he muttered, then shrugged. "Still, Kingsley's a good egg. I'm sure he won't say anything." He pointed his wand at the office door and muttered, " _Colloportus_." When the door's lock loudly clicked into place, he turned back to Remus with a determined look in his eye.

"Now," he crooned, his hands sliding up Remus' thighs towards his crotch. "Where were we..?"


	7. Tip of My Tongue

Remus was stirred from his sleep by featherlight kisses on the back of his neck and fingertips trailing along the side of his body, down along his bare thigh and back up again. He peered bleary-eyed as the dull, grey light of a new morning crawled slowly along the wall of their small bedroom. Groaning with tiredness and a stab of annoyance at how early it was, he buried his face into his warm pillow and grabbed Sirius' hand, wrapping it around his waist. Sirius shuffled closer and kissed his hair.

"Morning, Remy," he whispered, throwing his leg over Remus' thigh and pressing his morning wood into the bottom of his back. Remus grumbled quietly in response and Sirius chuckled, "Is it too early in the morning to use one of your vouchers?"

"Never," he replied sleepily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Just give me five minutes to wake up."

"Why don't you just get in a comfortable position and let me do what I'm good at?" Sirius suggested silkily. "Lie on your front and spread your legs for me."

Remus' cock twitched with interest at the request and suddenly he felt much more awake.

"Mmm, okay…" Sirius disappeared under the covers and out of sight as Remus did as he was told and rolled onto his stomach, resting his forehead in his arms. "What exactly have you got in mind—oh!"

Remus was suddenly rendered mute as Sirius' dexterous fingers spread his cleft open and, without warning, the flat of his tongue swiped across his hole, sending a sharp shot of pleasure along his perineum, cock and balls. Rimming wasn't something that they did very often, but Remus enjoyed it immensely and was happy to receive it whenever the mood took Sirius. He thanked his lucky stars that it had been included as one of the activities in the sex chequebook.

Without further prompting, he shifted his knees forward, giving Sirius' tongue easier access. Sirius groaned happily and descended upon him, lapping, sucking and tongue-fucking the sensitive ring of muscles as it relaxed and clenched against his tongue. Remus let out a low moan of contentment, slowly rutting his hardening cock against the mattress to the same rhythm as Sirius' tongue-fucked him. He pressed his hips back, desperate to feel that delectable tongue deeper inside of him and Sirius happily obliged, tracing the tip of his tongue around the rim before pressing it against Remus' pulsating hole. He met little resistance and the first couple of inches easily slipped inside, causing Remus to let out a low, almost animalistic growl of pleasure as he felt the taut, wet muscle massage his inner walls.

"Fuuuck, Sirius, I'm getting close…" he whimpered. Sirius groaned loudly, sending vibrations through his tongue and into Remus' body. Remus gasped at the sensation and gripped the bedsheets beneath him before he began to lightly buck against Sirius' face. He imagined how he must look in that moment—his legs wide apart and arse cheeks spread, with Sirius' pink, wet tongue inches deep in his hole—the mere thought nearly made him climax, but it wasn't enough. He wanted Sirius to fill him up completely.

"Sirius," he gasped. "I need you to stop teasing me with your tongue and fuck me."

Sirius' tongue slipped from Remus' hole and he nipped his right arsecheek with his teeth, the slight pain and pleasure of the action making Remus shiver with anticipation. He eagerly lifted his arse higher into the air as Sirius crawled up onto his knees and lined his cock at Remus' entrance. Meeting little resistance as he sank into him to the hilt, Sirius threw his head back and groaned loudly.

"Fuck, Remus. You're so tight…"

Remus deliberately clenched around Sirius' cock, smiling to himself as he heard Sirius' breath hitch and his hips were gripped in a steadying grip. He couldn't help the breathless moan that passed his lips when Sirius almost withdrew completely from his body before sliding back in again, Sirius' cock rubbing against his prostate upon reentry.

"K-keep doing that," he managed to stutter out and Sirius gladly obliged. Tightening his grip on Remus' hips he began pistoning back and forth, Remus savouring the growing, pulsing desire that spread inside of him like a smouldering fire with each delicious stroke. Remus had already been close to coming before he had practically begged Sirius to fuck him, so he wasn't expecting to last much longer. Taking a firm grip of his weeping cock, he gave it a few tugs, twisting his hand on the upward stroke over the sensitive head. The combined sensations of pumping his own cock to the same rhythm as Sirius fucked him sent Remus tumbling over the edge into sweet oblivion. He let out a low, guttural moan as his come spilled over his hand and onto the bedsheets.

Sirius continued to fuck Remus over the crest of his orgasm, his movements taking on a greater sense of urgency—he knew that soon it would be too sensitive for Remus to continue, so he redoubled his efforts, snapping his hips back and forth as incoherent words and curses spilled from his panting lips.

"Oh- oh- fuck yes- oh- Remus, I'm gonna…"

Sirius' breath stuttered and his fingers dug painfully into Remus' hips as he came. His thighs began to tremble and he collapsed forward, wrapping his arms around Remus' waist in a loving embrace. Remus gently lowered them both back onto the soft mattress, Sirius' cock softening and slipping free from his body. They both lay sprawled over one another panting heavily, sated and exhausted by their early morning activities. Remus wiped the sweat from his eyes and let out a long sigh of tiredness and contentment.

"I've not even got out of bed yet and already I'm exhausted," he joked. Sirius huffed out a laugh and gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm.

"You think it's bad now? Imagine what it'll be like when we have kids."

Remus' post-orgasmic glow quickly dissipated at those words. He looked up sharply at Sirius, "What was that?"

"I said imagine what it'd be like if we had kids," Sirius quickly corrected himself. Remus narrowed his eyes.

"No, you said _when_ , not _if_."

Sirius withdrew his hand from Remus' arm and didn't speak for a few moments. He looked as though he were trying to figure out what to say when finally he gave a careless shrug, "Well, I'm not saying we should have them right now, but I don't see why it shouldn't at least be a consideration…"

"Have you been talking to Lily?" asked Remus accusingly. Sirius frowned.

"What? No!" he protested. "What's Lily got to do with this?"

"She just so happened to be quizzing me on why we don't have kids yet—a coincidence, I'm sure," he sneered. "Well, I told her what I've already told you a hundred times already; yes, I would love to have kids. No, I'm not going to have any. End of discussion."

"Why not?" Sirius asked hotly.

"Because it's irresponsible."

"Bollocks," he spat.

Remus groaned and covered his face in his hands, "Sirius, we've already talked about this."

"No, there's a difference between talking with me and talking _at_ me," he argued pointedly.

"There's nothing more to discuss," Remus stated firmly, hoping that would be the end of the discussion, but Sirius was having none of it.

"Well, that's funny because I've got plenty to say on the matter," he bit back. "You've talked at length about all the reasons why you don't want to have kids but you've never bothered to ask why I do. It's a pretty big decision you're making for both of us without even taking my feelings into consideration. There are two people in this relationship, Remus, and I think I deserve to share my two Sickles on the matter before you rule it out entirely."

Remus glowered at Sirius. "We just had a great start to the morning, I don't want to ruin the day by talking about this. Can't we discuss this later?"

"You always say that," he pointed out. "If it's something that makes you uncomfortable, there never seems to be a good time to talk about it."

"Fine," Remus snapped. He sat up in bed and leant against the headboard, arms crossed and his expression impassive, although a storm of conflicting emotions was waging war inside of him. "Let's get this over with. Talk."

"Alright." Sirius sat up next to Remus, a look of steely determination on his face. "I'll lay all my cards out on the table. You know that I love you—"

Remus snorted, "You love me, _but…_ "

"Don't do that," Sirius snapped. "Let me finish." He sighed deeply and took Remus' hand into his own, running the tips of his calloused fingers across the white scar tissue on Remus' knuckles. "I love you, Remus. I know that you know that, but I still think it's worth reminding you sometimes. I love you and I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. And I love the life we've made for ourselves, too. Sure, we could always use more money..." Remus smiled and rolled his eyes. "But overall, I'm pretty happy with my lot in life: I'm working at a job I enjoy, we've got great friends, and I get to wake up next to my best friend every day. You make my life amazing, and I count my blessings every day that I have you in my life."

There was a long pause.

"But…" Remus pressed on. Sirius grimaced.

"Not 'but', just…" he looked imploringly at Remus. "I just want to share what we have with another person, with a child of our own. I think having a kid would enrich our lives even more. We've got so much to offer, Remus, imagine all the sleepless nights we'd have and worrying about them constantly, teaching them to how to tie their shoelaces and how to fly, and tell them stories about us about how we met and all the adventures we had at Hogwarts. Don't you think that sounds amazing? I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard, but I think we'd do a bloody good job at it. And I...I want to raise a family that I always wanted to be a part of but never got the chance to. I want them to be brought up in a home where their parents love them because, honestly, I never knew what that was like. I guess it's a selfish reason to want kids but it's one of the reasons why I want them, and I want to be honest with you about my intentions. Does that make any kind of sense?"

Remus sat and listened carefully to Sirius' heartfelt plea, love and guilt and fear rising and falling in him like the swell of the tide. He squeezed Sirius' hand, forcing himself to look into the eyes of the man he loved more than anything else in the world, knowing that the next few words he was about to say would hurt him deeply.

"It makes perfect sense," he acknowledged. "Because all these things that you want...I want them, too. You know that I'd love to raise a family with you, there's nothing that I'd want more."

"But?" Sirius pressed on. Remus shook his head sadly.

"You know that it can't happen. Not with my condition."

Sirius snarled in frustration and squeezed Remus' hand tightly, "Why deny yourself something that we both want?" he asked desperately. "It's not fair on either of us."

"Because it wouldn't be fair on the child," Remus argued. "It wouldn't be safe."

"But with the Wolfsbane Potion, you are safe!" Sirius argued.

"What if I miss my dose?" Remus argued. "Or the batch I get isn't strong enough? Or if it stops working?"

"What if lightning struck me down tomorrow?" Sirius countered passionately. "You can't avoid the risks that come with living life, we'd never get anything done otherwise!"

"The risk is still too high," Remus retorted, his voice rising. "I feel guilty enough putting you at risk every month, let alone a child who has no choice in the matter. Potions and chains don't hide what I really am, Sirius, they only keep it at bay. I have this... _thing_ inside of me, and I'm constantly afraid that the moment I let my guard down it's going to burst out of me and hurt those closest to me. I'm no good for a child to be around."

"Don't you think I worry about the same things?" Sirius replied angrily. "That I don't look into my own heart and see darkness there, too? You talk about the madness within, Remus, insanity literally runs in my family. I think about what my own parents were like and I can't help but wonder if I might end up just like them."

"You're nothing like them," Remus assured him gently. "You're a good man."

"Well, I'm trying to be a good person—and so are you," Sirius continued. "And I think that makes all the difference in the world. We've all got both light and dark inside us, Remus. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. You had this bad thing forced upon you, but despite everything you've never lost the good in you. You have an inner strength that leaves me in awe of you—that alone more than qualifies you for the task of being a parent. I mean, the fact that we're even considering all of these things...doesn't that mean that we're ready to be parents? At least we've got a good idea of what _not_ to do!"

Remus bit his lip, almost swayed by the passion and conviction of Sirius' argument. He wanted so desperately to say yes, but his courage failed him.

"Sirius...I'm not as strong as you think I am," he said weakly. Sirius' shoulders sagged, his face pinched with hurt and disappointment.

At the same moment, Sirius' alarm went off, reminding him that he still needed to go to work. He bashed the snooze button with his fist and clambered out of bed, pulling his clothes on as quickly as possible while avoiding looking in Remus' direction.

"I need to work late tonight," he said stiffly. "Don't wait up for me."

He stormed out of the bedroom without another word. Remus stared after him, desperate to call him back to bed so that they could talk about this, but the words seemed to be lodged in his throat.

As the front door to the cottage slammed shut, the alarm went off again and Remus picked it up and tossed it across the bedroom in frustration. The alarm clock squealed in pain as it bounced off of the wall and crashed to the ground.

"Alright! I'll keep my mouth shut!" it cried out, muttering under its breath in indignation as it lay face down on the bedroom floor.

Remus buried his face into his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks as he wondered to himself how his morning which had started out so perfectly had gotten so fucked up so quickly.


	8. Dittany and Silver

Remus' day only got worse as the morning wore on. After skipping breakfast (he didn't have much of an appetite after his argument with Sirius) he got dressed and Apparated to the Davies' home for a full day of tutoring with Roger. Their morning lesson passed by uneventfully, but things took an awkward turn when they put away their Astronomy charts and moved onto Magical Creatures for Beginners. It was Roger's favourite subject by far and Remus could only imagine how well he and Professor Hagrid would get on when he finally arrived at Hogwarts.

"Let's see what we're going to be covering today," said Remus, flicking through the textbook while Roger sat waiting patiently for the lesson to begin, quill poised to take notes. "We've already covered hags, red caps and vampires, what's next on the agenda..?"

Remus turned to the next page and his heart sank.

"Cool, werewolves!" Roger exclaimed excitedly. Remus stared at the monstrous illustration of a human halfway through the painful transformation of turning into a werewolf, his face contorted in pain as his limbs snapped and stretched. Remus' mouth was suddenly very dry and he cast a furtive glance at Roger, who looked up expectantly at him. He snapped the book shut and fixed a tense smile onto his face.

"Why don't we leave this for after the holidays and do something else?" he asked hopefully. "I could give you a demonstration on some festive charms if you like?"

Roger pouted, "But I like learning about the animals. Can we keep reading about werewolves, pleeeeease?"

Remus sunk back into his chair, defeated. Short of running out of the house and abandoning the lesson and the child altogether, he didn't have much of a choice but to continue. Slowly, he opened the book back up to the correct page and began to read…

"The werewolf, or lycanthrope, is a human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf. Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood. To become a werewolf, it is necessary to be bitten by a werewolf in their wolfish form at the time of the full moon. When the werewolf's saliva mingles with the victim's blood…contamination occurs."

Reading the word 'contamination' was like a punch to the gut. It felt as though he were reading the most private contents of his personal diary aloud. He hesitated a moment before continuing, listening to Roger's quill scratching across parchment as he took notes.

"Werewolves can be easily distinguished from regular wolves by their shorter snout, more human-like eyes, their tufted tail…" he let out a sigh. "And their mindless hunting of humans whilst in wolfish form."

"How can you identify them when it's in human form?" asked Roger innocently. Remus' stomach twisted unpleasantly at being indirectly referred to as 'it', but he replied in an even voice, "It's...difficult to tell." He cleared his throat, which suddenly felt constricted, and continued to read aloud, "Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, will leave permanent scars."

The scratching of Roger's quill paused then and Remus quickly moved his hands under the table and pulled the sleeves of his shirt over his clenched fists, trying in vain to hide the deep cuts across his knuckles, but there was little he could do to hide the white scars across the bridge of his nose and bottom lip.

"Werewolf bites should be thoroughly and magically cleaned, as the werewolf's fangs are venomous. However, there is no cure once you have become a werewolf, so avoid being bitten at all costs," he continued wearily. "A mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will seal the wound and allow the victim to live as a werewolf, although tragic tales are told of knowing victims begging for death rather than becoming beasts."

A long silence followed as Remus stared fixedly at the book in front of him, afraid to look into the eyes of the young boy for fear that his shameful expression would give him away. He forced himself to look up and found Roger staring at him with a strange expression on his face—not frightened though, which came as a small relief. If anything, he looked slightly confused, as though his young mind was trying to process a large amount of new information all at once.

Remus glanced down at the grotesque illustration again and began slowly, "You know, people with lycanthropy...they're really not that much different from other witches and wizards. This…" he pointed at the illustration. "Isn't a fair representation of everything that a person who suffers lycanthropy is. Most of the time they look like anyone else—they go to work, they have friends, some even have families."

Roger's chubby face screwed up in concentration, "If werewolves are just like everyone else, why are people so scared of them?"

Remus gave him a sad smile. "It's a fair question. People are afraid of what they don't understand, Roger. I won't lie to you...when someone suffering lycanthropy is in their transformed state, they are dangerous; they no longer have control of their minds and will hurt anyone who crosses their path. But if they take a special potion, the Wolfsbane Potion, the person inside can remember who they are, so they won't go out and hurt anyone."

Roger looked confused, "But...if a werewolf is a person, why are they in a book about animals?"

"That is a complicated ethical question that even I struggle to understand, so I'm afraid I can't provide you with a good explanation for that," sighed Remus. "But it is an important question to consider. There is no straightforward answer to any of this, I'm afraid. Werewolves are both man and beast, but I don't believe that the disease makes them any less human. Hath not a werewolf hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; if you prick us, do we not bleed?"

Roger stared blankly back at him and Remus rolled his eyes, "I don't suppose your parents would have considered teaching you the works of Shakespeare?"

"Never heard of him," he shrugged. "Is he famous?"

"Very," Remus chuckled. "He's one of the most famous Muggles in history. He was a very talented playwright—one of my favourites, actually. I could bring you one of his plays to read if you like?"

"Yes please!" Roger said keenly. Remus gave him a warm smile and flipped to the next page of the book.

"Alright, then. Moving onto zombies now—"

"I don't like zombies," Roger muttered. "My friend, Cormac, says that there are zombies in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts and that they kidnap students who wander into the forest and eat them!"

Remus laughed, "I can assure you that is not true. Zombies only dwell in the Southern part of America; the Scottish climate is too cold for them."

"Oh," Roger relaxed a little. "That's a relief."

"There are, however, Acromantula in the Forest, so I would still advise against you exploring there on your own," he noted lightly. Roger frowned.

"What's an Acra- Acro...mantula?"

"We'll discuss that another time," he replied evasively before continuing the lesson, his mind still firmly focused on the contentious discussion they'd just had.

* * *

When Remus Apparated home later that evening, he still felt uneasy about his lesson with Roger. He was a bright boy for his age, so he definitely suspected Remus even if he hadn't completely worked it out yet. Remus was half in mind about sending Mrs Davies a letter and severing their contract there and then—the risk of them finding out about his condition and telling other parents...well, the fallout from that didn't bear thinking about. But he and Sirius were barely making ends meet as it was, so quitting based on a hunch seemed irresponsible.

He paused at the gate that led to the dilapidated cottage that they called home. Coarse, unevenly sized grey stones formed the walls of the cottage, coupled with a dark, misshapen slate roof and crooked stone chimney. Remus worked hard in the summer to maintain the garden in an effort to make it look more welcoming, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't disguise how drab it really looked.

While Remus had always lived in the country with humble abodes, he had to remind himself every so often what a far cry this was from the grandeur that Sirius had been raised in. Still, Sirius seemed content with their home—however small it was, at least its inhabitants were happy...for the most part. Happier than his life had been at Grimmauld Place, at least.

As he entered the cottage, he dumped his cloak and satchel on the floor before heading straight for the bathroom to run himself a bath; he hoped that it would help him relax and calm his nerves. As the bath began to fill with water, he stripped from his work clothes and stared at his naked form in the long mirror. He ran his hands over the old scars that crisscrossed his shoulders, arms and abdomen. Anywhere his paws could reach he had clawed furiously, out of mindless anger and frustration, leaving deep wounds that marked his flesh forevermore. Some of them were more sensitive than others; a particularly large one that ran diagonally across his belly, a dark shade of pink, remained almost too sensitive to the touch even after all these years. He held out his forearms and inspected them closely; the mottled skin was worst here, evidence of the many times he had bitten himself during his difficult transformations, which were so painful that he feared that he might lose his mind entirely and forever.

He thought about what he had said to Roger: this, he'd argued, wasn't a fair representation of everything that a person who suffers lycanthropy is. He looked back at his reflection, at the evidence of the disease that had consumed every moment of his life since he had been turned against his will at five years of age, and knew that had been a bare-faced lie.

What was he? He was Remus John Lupin. Teacher. Lover. Friend. Werewolf. He was a bloody mess, that's what he was. He knew that one of those things would always overrule everything else in his life, regardless of how much he wished for that not to be the case.

Turning his back on his reflection he stepped into the bath, letting his head slip beneath the surface of the water, blocking out the sounds around him. He focused on the silence, trying to empty his mind and his heart of everything, hoping for a brief moment of peace from himself.


	9. The Beast with Two Backs

Remus never slept well when Sirius was working the night shift—worse still when they had fallen out. He hadn't even bothered trying to get to sleep, knowing that it was a fruitless endeavour, and decided to use his time constructively, correcting Roger's Astronomy homework and setting him reading assignments over the Christmas holiday. When he had finished that, he got comfortable in bed with a book, although he struggled to concentrate on the words. Not that it mattered: he'd read it enough times already that he could recite it easily from memory. Still, staring blankly at the pages of the book was better than lying in the dark musing over their argument, and it kept his hands and mind occupied while he waited for Sirius to come home.

It was after midnight when he heard the scratch of keys opening the lock on the front door and the sound of Sirius' heavy feet stepping over the threshold into the cottage. Remus continued to stare fixedly at the book as he listened to Sirius trying to move quietly through the cottage, but the walls were so thin that, really, it was impossible to do so. He held his breath as he heard Sirius stop outside their bedroom door. Sirius probably saw the light of his bedside lamp from the hallway and was now contemplating whether or not he was ready to talk to Remus yet. After a few moments, the bedroom door creaked open but Remus didn't look up.

Silence followed.

"Hey."

Remus' head snapped up at the tentative greeting and he saw Sirius lingering by the doorway looking uncertain. For a man overflowing in confidence, it was strange to see him look unsure of himself, but then they didn't argue all that often. Remus noticed that he still had his Auror robes and cloak on but that he was barefoot. He had a habit of forgetting to take off his work boots when he got home and would inevitably traipse mud through the house, so Remus was quietly thankful that he'd remembered to take his shoes off at the door today. He slipped a bookmark into the page he'd been reading before closing it over.

"Hey yourself," he replied cautiously. "How was work?"

Sirius shrugged, "Too much paperwork and not enough staff—the usual. It's a lot more fun when you're there to distract me from work."

"I bet." Remus gave him a weak smile. He'd spent all evening trying to figure out what he was going to say to Sirius when he got home, clever words that would explain away why he was this way when he knew that all he really had to say was sorry. But when he opened his mouth to speak, no words came out—sorry just didn't seem sufficient.

Sirius' eyes fell to the book on Remus' lap and he nodded, "What're you reading?" Remus lifted the book to show him the cover and Sirius flashed him a quick smile. "The Merchant of Venice again?"

"It's my favourite," he explained.

A slight frown creased Sirius' brow in concentration before he spoke again, "I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad one."

Remus couldn't help the smile that tugged the corner of his lips and Sirius tentatively returned it.

"I didn't think you were a fan of The Merchant," mused Remus.

"I'm not really," he conceded with a careless shrug. "Personally, I prefer Othello. But I know that it's your favourite, so I figured it was worthwhile memorising some of it if I ever needed to woo you between the bedsheets."

Remus chuckled, "I'm not going to lie, it has worked before. A few too many firewhiskys never hurt your chances, either."

Sirius stepped further into the room, still looking a little apprehensive. "There is another bit I memorised if you'd like to hear it?" Remus nodded, so Sirius moved closer and sat on the bed at Remus' feet. He rested his hand on Remus' thigh and continued, "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

The tightness that he'd been carrying in his chest all day suddenly eased and an overwhelming feeling of love and affection blossomed in the pit of his stomach as Sirius recited the passage to him. He wondered if he'd taken the time to memorise those particular lines today because if he had, it made him love him all the more.

"Is that your way of an apology for our argument this morning?" he asked.

"If I say it is, do you accept my apology?" Sirius chanced, his expression hopeful.

"You're reciting poetry to me, how can I resist?" he teased gently, then added more seriously, "I should be the one apologising. I'm sorry about the way I acted this morning. You're right—I avoid talking about things that make me uncomfortable. Sometimes it's easier to lash out than confront the problem head-on. I'm sorry I'm a coward."

Sirius let out an exasperated sigh and squeezed his thigh reassuringly, "You're many things, Remy—even a pain in the arse on occasion—but one thing you're not is a coward. You're the bravest, strongest person that I know."

"I don't feel like it," he lamented, avoiding Sirius' gaze because he was afraid that he would cry again.

"Courage isn't the absence of fear, Remy, it's the conquer of it," Sirius countered gently. He reached out and stroked Remus' cheek with his thumb. When Remus looked at Sirius and found his expression to be soft and understanding, he felt the last of his resolve fall away and tears streamed down his cheeks again. How could this man put up with so much of his shit? He didn't feel worthy of him. Sirius wiped them away and leaned closer. "You're so brave, Remus. And kind. And good. And I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered before pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. It felt as tentative and fragile as their shared apologies, and Remus tried to convey in the kiss just how sorry he really was. But apologies weren't going to fix this. The issue would undoubtedly rear its ugly head again in the future, but for now, Remus was content for them to say their apologies and worry about it all another time. When they finally pulled apart, Sirius let out a long sigh and pressed their foreheads together, looking more relaxed than before.

"I know it's late, but are you hungry?" he asked.

"Famished," Remus replied honestly, realising that he hadn't eaten anything all day. As the tension he'd been carrying around in his body finally lifted, he became aware of just how hungry he was; his stomach felt tight and grumbled loudly as though desperate to be acknowledged. Sirius laughed.

"I think your stomach agrees. Come on, let's get you fed…"

Remus sat waiting patiently at the kitchen table quietly admiring Sirius as he stood at the stove making their very late dinner. He'd discarded his heavy work clothes in favour of a loose-fitting cotton t-shirt with 'FRANKIE SAYS RELAX' emblazoned on the front in bold letters and a pair of figure-hugging boxers that clung to his firm, round arse. Remus was happily envisioning tearing off the last of his boyfriend's clothing and bending him over the kitchen table when Sirius caught him staring.

"Oi! My eyes are up here," he joked. Remus gave him an apologetic look, although he wasn't sorry at all.

"Sorry, I was just thinking how much better you'd look without the boxers," he replied nonchalantly. Sirius smirked and wiggled his hips.

"You like what you see?" he teased.

"Most definitely," Remus agreed. "I like it so much that I'm tempted to forego dinner entirely and start with dessert."

Sirius, however, shook his head and waved his spatula at Remus, "No no no, we're getting you fed first, Moony. You're going to need your energy for tonight's activities."

Remus felt a stirring in his groin at the promise in Sirius' voice, "Oh? What have you got planned for me?"

"You'll see," he replied evasively, turning back to the stove. It didn't take long for Sirius to finish cooking their dinner. With a dramatic flourish, he presented the hot meal to Remus before giving him a little bow.

"Oeufs sur du pain grillé. Bon Appétit!" he declared.

Remus looked at the plate of scrambled egg and buttered toast with the same reverence he would a steak served at The Savoy. He took a forkful of egg and popped it into his mouth, savouring the way the light creamy texture melted on his tongue like butter. Groaning happily, he gave Sirius an appraising smile and said simply, "Perfection."

Sirius let out a sigh of relief and sank into the seat next to Remus. "Thank Godric for that. You know that's as complex as my cooking skills get; it was either this or a bowl of cereal. Ah well…" He raised his mug of tea to Remus, "Cheers."

"Cheers," Remus replied, clinking their ceramic cups together before they tucked into their meal. It amused Remus to no end how the Blacks had spent an inordinate amount of time and money ensuring that their sons would be fluent in French and Latin and pureblood customs, but never cared to teach them the basics of self-care. Remus supposed that to aristocratic purebloods, cooking your own food and cleaning your own clothes was below one's station—that's what Elves were there for.

When Sirius had moved in with Remus and his parents, he had to learn everything from scratch. It had been a steep learning curve for him—the Lupins couldn't afford the luxury of a House Elf to do manual labour for them—but luckily he was an enthusiastic learner. Over time he learned how to clean his clothes (with and without magic), how to budget properly and even how to cook some simple meals, although he much preferred Remus' cooking over his own. Still, he liked to cook for his boyfriend on occasion. Even if it was only a simple plate of eggs on toast, Remus appreciated it nonetheless. When he'd finished his dinner, Remus pushed the empty plate away and sighed contentedly.

"My compliments to the chef," he said, raising his mug to Sirius and downing the last of his lukewarm tea. Sirius waved his hand dismissively but looked pleased all the same.

"No problem at all. Now…" he gave Remus a predatory smile. "Are you ready for your dessert?"

Remus, who had been feeling a little tired after eating, immediately perked up again at the mention of dessert.

"Oh, absolutely," he nodded. Sirius rose to his feet.

"Good. Now, close your eyes. No peaking."

Intrigued, Remus did as he was instructed, a little shiver of excitement traversing his spine as he wondered what Sirius had in store for him. When Sirius spoke again, he was much closer, his hot breath tickling the sensitive skin on his neck.

"Open your mouth," he ordered and Remus obeyed. A moment later he felt something cold and smooth brush against his lips. He flicked the tip of his tongue over the mysterious morsel and he realised to his delight that it was a strawberry. Sirius gently pushed the fruit past his lips and Remus sunk his teeth into the soft flesh. An explosion of flavour assaulted his senses, juice spilling over his lips and dribbling down his chin. It was so ripe that the sweet, acidic fruit practically melted on his tongue. He swiped his tongue across his lips, savouring the sweet aftertaste. When he opened his eyes he found Sirius watching him intently, his grey eyes darkened with lust and fixed on his red-stained lips.

"You like?" he asked in a low, sensual voice. Remus nodded slowly.

"Delicious," he said quietly, in no way referring to the food. His eyes flicked towards the table and he raised his eyebrows in surprise as he noticed an obscenely large chocolate cake—too large for two people to eat on their own—placed between the two of them. It was covered in a thick, shiny chocolate ganache and topped with fresh strawberries and fluffy cream around the edges.

"Did you make that?" he asked, surprised. Sirius barked out a laugh.

"Did I hell! I picked it up from Honeydukes this morning. I had a hell of a time stopping Frank from stealing a piece."

Remus cast a guilty look at the cake, "It looks expensive…"

"Don't worry about that," said Sirius gently. "I got it because I thought you'd enjoy it. One of the sex cheques mentioned food play, and I didn't think scrambled egg on toast would suffice. Here…" He dipped his finger into the cake and scooped a large dollop of creamy chocolate ganache onto the tip of his index finger, then brought his finger close to Remus' mouth. "Open up."

Remus unconsciously licked his lips as the intoxicating aroma of the chocolate filled his nostrils, causing goosebumps to erupt across his forearms. He complied with the request and took Sirius' finger into his mouth, unable to suppress a groan at how tasty and naughty this was.

"Suck," Sirius instructed. His breath hitched as Remus hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard on his digit. Remus closed his eyes and moaned at the rich, sweet, more-ish flavour of the chocolate, his mouth filling with saliva at the delectable taste. Sirius knew how much Remus loved chocolate, but this...it was so delicious it was bordering on the obscene. He wondered fleetingly if it had been laced with Amortentia, but he didn't much care if it had; besides, Sirius was addictive enough all on his own.

Sirius slowly withdrew his finger from Remus' eager mouth, the long digit licked clean and shining with saliva. Remus' eyes slid open and he found Sirius staring at his lips with lustful fixation.

"More?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse. Remus nodded and dipped his own index finger into the top of the cake. When he withdrew it, he smeared the sweet treat across Sirius' plump bottom lip before leaning forward, pressing their lips together in a messy, sticky kiss. The intoxicating flavours of chocolate and something else that was unique to Sirius made Remus' head swim with desire. He deliberately sucked Sirius' bottom lip, giving it a playful nip before withdrawing again, marvelling at the dreamy expression on Sirius' face.

"Did you know that chocolate is a powerful aphrodisiac?" Remus asked silkily, running his hand slowly up Sirius' bare thigh towards his crotch. Sirius grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"I know, that's why I picked it for you. Strawberries are an aphrodisiac, too..." He plucked another strawberry from the top of the cake and gently bit into it, holding it between his teeth before wiggling his eyebrows at Remus in an invitation for him to share the delectable fruit. Remus gladly obliged, leaning closer to take a small bite out of the strawberry, but he was more interested in kissing Sirius. He dipped his tongue past Sirius' slack lips and into his mouth, the sweet juices of the strawberry assaulting both their senses. Remus slid his hand higher up Sirius' thigh and between his legs, rubbing his growing erection to the same slow pace as they massaged their tongues together. Sirius groaned and broke their kiss, leaving Remus momentarily confused. Sirius climbed out of his chair and onto Remus' lap, crushing their lips together again as he began grinding their hips and lengths together, creating an exquisite friction. Remus' moan of pleasure was lost in the kiss, gladly lost in the feel of his boyfriend's firm body pressed against his own. He let his hands wander over Sirius' broad shoulders, down his slim back and the contours of his perk arse. He knew Sirius' body as well as his own, every curve and angle committed to memory; it was welcoming in its familiarity, fit so perfectly against his own that he was sure that they were made only with each other in mind.

Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus' neck, pulling him closer, the cake all but forgotten. Remus, however, had other wicked ideas. He pulled back from Sirius and asked, "More chocolate?" Sirius swallowed hard and nodded, his eyes half-lidded with arousal. "Close your eyes and open your mouth."

Sirius followed his instructions and closed his eyes, his tongue protruding slightly from his mouth as he awaited Remus' treat. Biting the inside of his cheek to suppress the laugh that wanted to burst out of him, Remus scooped up a large handful of chocolate cake and shoved it into Sirius' expectant mouth. Sirius' eyes flew open and he grunted in surprise, his cheeks bulging like a niffler's as he struggled to chew and swallow it down. Remus burst out laughing and Sirius glared at him.

"I'm sorry, Padfoot," he chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. "I just couldn't resist—"

With lightning-quick reflexes, Sirius snatched a fistful of cake and splatted it onto Remus' forehead before proceeding to smear the cream and jam down his face and across his chin, his irritated expression transforming into one of unbridled glee. Remus gaped at him in disbelief and a moment's silence followed as they stared defiantly into each other's eyes, the sexual tension evaporating and being replaced with playful determination. Suddenly, they both dived for the cake, arms and legs flailing wildly as they simultaneously tried to attack each other while avoiding being attacked, sending dods of cake flying in all directions. They laughed hysterically and shouted insults at one another as they both struggled to gain the upper hand. Remus shoved a handful of cake down Sirius' boxers making Sirius squeal and squirm in his lap. In retaliation, Sirius splatted two fistfuls of moist sponge onto Remus' head, rubbing it into his hair.

"Oi! I've got work in the morning!" Remus shouted, although he was still grinning. Sirius gave a quick, careless shrug.

"So do I!"

He made a dive for the last handful of the decimated pudding and tried to shove it in Remus' mouth, but Remus was deceptively strong and captured his wrist in a vice-like grip. Sirius twisted and turned, trying to break free, but Remus wrestled him on top of the table, pinning his arms above his head. Sirius squirmed and struggled beneath him, but it was no use—he was at Remus' mercy.

"No fair!" he protested through gritted teeth. "You caught me off guard!"

"Well, then you shouldn't have let your guard down," Remus countered playfully, pressing his chest flat against Sirius' to keep him in place. "What's that you're always saying? Constant vigilance!"

"Oh, haha," Sirius rolled his eyes and relaxed under Remus' weight, defeated. Remus couldn't help but laugh at their current state: there was cake all over the kitchen table and floor, and Sirius had chocolate and cream smeared all over his face, hands and arms.

"Do you concede?" he teased. Sirius looked up into his eyes, his expression quite serious.

"Only to you," he replied gently.

The laughter died on Remus' lips at these words and something predatory rose up inside of him. As he looked at the delectable mess of a man beneath him, a powerful surge of love and lust took his breath away. Sirius always made him feel wanted, desired, contented, loved...he wanted to make him feel the same way. He lunged forward, catching Sirius' lips in a searing kiss. Sirius groaned and kissed back with equal enthusiasm, thrusting his hips upwards to increase the contact between them. Remus moaned into the kiss, savouring the delicious taste of chocolate and strawberries on his lips. When Remus loosened his grip on Sirius' wrists, he made a strangled noise in protest.

"Don't let go," Sirius implored in a low, husky voice. "I like it when you're rough."

"Yeah?" he breathed, as he took a firm grip of Sirius' t-shirt at the neck and, in one swift jerking motion, he tore it in half. Sirius yelped in surprise as his pale torso was revealed, his ruined t-shirt now lying in tatters on the kitchen floor. Sirius drew Remus an accusatory look, but the erection tenting his boxers betrayed his desire.

"I really liked that t-shirt!" he protested.

"Well, now we're even for you burning my trousers," Remus smirked, which was quickly wiped from his face when Sirius pulled him down for another passionate kiss. They tore at each others clothing, desperate to feel skin against skin. Reluctantly, Remus broke their kiss and hooked his fingers under the waistband of Sirius' boxers. Instinctively, he lifted his hips off of the table, making it easier for Remus to pull them off. He made quick work peeling them off and tossing them aside, sparing a moment to enjoy the sight of Sirius' cock, flushed a dark pink with a pearl of pre-come blossoming at the tip, begging for his attention. Keen to give it the attention it deserved, he roughly pushed his own trousers down past his thighs and a large dollop of chocolate cake fell out of his trousers, splatting onto the stone floor. Sirius snorted back a laugh and Remus rolled his eyes in bemusement before turning his attention back to more urgent matters. Sirius abruptly stopped laughing when Remus took a firm grip of his hips and pulled his arse to the edge of the table.

"You said you like it when I'm rough?" Remus challenged, his voice low and dangerous. Sirius' cock twitched in eager response and he opened his legs wide in invitation.

"Fuck me 'til I can't walk straight," he commanded roughly and Remus gladly obliged. He took a handful of whipped cream from the cake stand and smeared it across Sirius' entrance, its cold, creamy texture shooting a pleasant shiver up his spine. While not as effective as lube it was slippery enough to make it easier for Remus to enter him. Hooking Sirius' legs up over his shoulders, he took a firm grip of Sirius' thighs before pressing his cock against his entrance, thrusting his hips forward and easily sliding inside of him. Sirius groaned loudly and dropped his head back onto the table with a light thud as Remus proceeded to piston his hips back and forth mercilessly.

"You like that?" he asked in a low, husky voice.

"Fuck yes!" Sirius cried out. "Yessss, keep doing that…"

With each forward thrust, the table juddered and creaked beneath them, scraping across the kitchen floor inch by inch. The cake stand shuddered and inched towards the edge of the table before finally falling over the edge, clattering loudly as it bounced off of the floor and rolled away, but neither man noticed. Sirius gritted his teeth, his face contorted with a mixture of pain and pleasure as Remus pounded into him. He gripped the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles went white, panting and grunting out orders to Remus.

"Ah fuck! Uh- harder- uh- _faster-_ uh- uh- uh- _oh god!"_

A loud, long, delicious moan poured from Sirius' lips as his back arched off of the table and it was music to Remus' ears. There was no greater nor more erotic sight, than seeing Sirius fall apart at the seams beneath him. He only slowed his pace and finally stilled when Sirius began to tremble, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath. Remus leaned forward and took a firm grip of Sirius' torso, pulling him into an upright position so that he could wrap his arms around his shoulders and hold him. Sirius slumped forward, resting his chin on Remus' shoulder. He felt like a limp noodle in his arms, lacking the energy to even hug Remus back, so instead, he nuzzled Remus' neck.

"You didn't come," he pointed out with a note of disappointment in his tired voice. Remus pressed a reassuring kiss to his temple, running his hands languidly up and down his back, soothing him.

"That's alright," he said quietly. "I think I'm just too tired. I still enjoyed myself."

"You better have," Sirius accused lightly, smiling against his skin. "Some might say that was a waste of a good cake."

"Au contraire," Remus smirked. "I think it just made things a lot more interesting."

Without warning, he swiped his tongue across Sirius' chocolate-smeared face. Sirius pulled away and grimaced, "Merlin's balls, Moony. And they call me a dog…"

"You love it when I act like an old horndog," Remus chuckled. Sirius drew Remus a wicked grin and in the blink of an eye he had transformed into a great shaggy black dog. Remus howled in protest as Sirius panted and lapped at his face with his huge, wet canine tongue.

"Bleurgh! Sirius, cut it out!" Remus shouted, trying to push the dog away from him. Just as quickly, Sirius changed back into human form, laughing hysterically at Remus' furious expression.

"What? I thought you liked old horndogs," he joked, giving him a lecherous wink.

"Your dog breath reeks," Remus grumbled, pushing Sirius away from him in annoyance. Sirius, however, kept laughing.

"Come on, Moony, I was only joking!"

"Bad dog!" Remus cried over his shoulder, only making Sirius laugh harder as he stalked out of the kitchen to have a much-needed bath.


	10. Turn to Page 394

Remus was tired but happy when he got up early the next morning for work, his worries temporarily brushed aside as he Apparated to outside the Davies' home for his morning lessons with Roger. He was so relieved that he and Sirius were speaking again that he had completely forgotten about the awkward lesson he'd had with Roger the previous day.

He strode up the stone steps towards the front door, keen to get inside and out of the cold as soon as possible. The snow remained but a drop in temperature had made the ground slick with ice and perilous to walk on. He chapped loudly and waited, rubbing his hands together in an effort to stave off the cold. A few seconds passed and the door creaked open. Remus smiled and opened his mouth to greet Mrs Davies but faltered when he saw the stony expression on her face.

"Mr Lupin," she greeted him stiffly, only holding the door half-open. She didn't usher him in out of the cold like she normally would. "I'm surprised to see you."

Remus frowned, "I'm sorry, I thought that we had arranged for me to tutor Roger today. Am I mistaken?"

"I take that you haven't received my owl?"

"No, sorry…" Remus felt uneasy at the accusatory look she was drawing him. "Has something happened?"

"You could say that," she sneered. "After you left yesterday I spoke to Roger about his lesson. You can imagine my reaction when he told me what you had said about werewolves, Mr Lupin, some cock and bull story that they are not so unlike you and me. Your unconventional and, frankly, dangerous opinions on this matter gave my husband and I cause for concern. So, I took it upon myself to ask around about you. My findings were rather disturbing."

Remus' heart sank. _Shit_ , he realised in a panic. _She knows..._

"My credentials are sound," he argued, struggling to quell the fear and anger rising inside of him. Mrs Davies huffed out a derisive laugh.

"Oh yes, I quite agree," she replied briskly. "You came highly recommended by several people, that's why we hired you in the first place. But it is rather unusual, the high number of employers you've had in such a short period of time. And there's the matter of your irregular sick days."

"Mrs Davies—"

"Funny how they always seem to coincide with the full moon, isn't it?" she finished, glaring at Remus as though challenging him to refute her claim. His mind raced as he struggled to figure out how to respond and the painful silence that followed felt as though it stretched out across eternity, although it couldn't have lasted more than a couple of seconds. He swallowed hard, his mouth as dry as sandpaper.

"With regards to my condition, I think it's important to remember that Roger is completely safe in my company," he began carefully, ignoring the harsh laugh from Mrs Davies. "More importantly, it has absolutely no bearing upon my ability to teach. Up until yesterday, I was under the impression that you were happy with the quality of my tutelage."

"Your teaching style is proficient," she relented. "That isn't the issue, Mr Lupin. The problem is that you lied to us about your condition and that I cannot abide. I'm afraid that you're going to have to find work elsewhere."

"I didn't lie," he argued, his voice shaking with anger now. Mrs Davies' face twisted into an ugly scowl.

"We invited you into our home, trusting you with our son. You could have had the good grace to tell us that you were sick."

"And I suppose that if I had told you that you still would have hired me?" he challenged.

"That's beside the point…"

"That's exactly the point!" he retorted. "Mrs Davies, my disease is under control. Roger was never in any danger in my company. Do you really think I'd teach children if I thought there was any danger of me hurting them?"

"Don't try and justify your deception to me!" she hissed. "You should have told us. He is our son, we have the right to make an informed decision about who he comes into contact with."

"It wasn't your business to know!" Remus snapped, finally losing his temper. Mrs Davies began closing the door in his face and a stab of panic struck his heart then. He thrust his hand out to stop her from closing the door in his face. "No! Wait, please…"

Fear streaked across her eyes then at how close he was to her and he quickly withdrew his hand, ashamed at her reaction to him, like he was contagious. But as much as he wanted to tell her to stick her job and run away, he swallowed his pride and tried to reason with her. He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Look, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about my illness, there's no excuse," he began, trying to sound calm despite feeling anything but in that moment. "But will you please reconsider dismissing me? I...I really need this job…"

"You should have considered that before you lied to us," she retorted. "And even if your disease wasn't cause for concern, I've been made aware of certain... _lifestyle_ choices that you engage in that I don't want my son exposed to."

Remus blinked, momentarily confused at what she meant by the barbed comment, then it dawned on him what she was referring to and another swell of hot anger rose inside of him. He clenched his fists so tightly in his hands that his fingernails dug into the soft flesh of his palms. It was one thing to insult him, quite another to drag Sirius into this.

"I assure you that being a werewolf and a homosexual is not a choice, Madam, and contrary to what you might think, neither is something to be ashamed of. What is shameful is that your son needs to rely on tutors to learn that much."

"I think it's time for you to leave," she replied coolly. Remus glared at her.

"Fine," he muttered. "Fine, just…" he rummaged through his satchel and pulled out a worn book. "Could you at least give this to Roger? I promised him that I would bring him a copy."

"I don't think that would be appropriate," she replied shortly without even looking at the book. "Goodbye, Mr Lupin."

She slammed the door in his face and he heard the lock click into place. He stared at the door, dumbstruck at what had just happened. He'd lost his job, and, more than likely, once word got out he'd lose his other clients as well, five days shy of Christmas. He wasn't sure how he should feel in that moment—angry, ashamed, upset—but he just felt...blank. Hollow.

In a daze, he turned and shuffled down the steps towards the small gate, pausing out of habit to look up at Roger's window, not really expecting to see him there. He was surprised when he saw Roger standing there, his pudgy face pressed against the glass, looking miserable. Remus couldn't even muster a parting smile for the boy; he feared it might break his resolve to do that much. Instead, he carefully placed his worn copy of The Merchant of Venice on the low wall of the Davies' home. He wasn't sure Roger would ever get it; it would probably get stolen by a passerby or thrown in the bin by his mother, perhaps it would be ignored entirely and left to the elements, getting damp and disintegrating in the wet snow. Still, he left it just in the off chance that it made its way to Roger.

Closing the squeaky gate behind him, he stalked back down the street without looking back, unsure of where his feet would carry him.

* * *

It was dark before Remus finally went home. He'd wandered aimlessly around London all afternoon, too embarrassed and angry with himself to go home and tell Sirius what had happened. A spike of shame stabbed the pit of his stomach every time he thought about Mrs Davies and the way she had looked at him, talked about him like he were infectious...he'd heard it all before, of course, but it never got any easier or any less hurtful to hear. He'd sat in St James' Park for a while, relishing the painful cold seeping into his bones, a wonderful distraction from the knots clenching his stomach. When the sun dipped below the horizon and the first stars began to emerge, Sirius the brightest among them, Remus knew that he ought to head home. He sighed and buried his face into his hands, dreading the prospect of telling Sirius what had happened.

Rising slowly to his feet, his limbs felt stiff from the cold. He shuffled forward and thought of home, Apparating moments later in front of the rundown little cottage. Warm yellow light emanated from the living room window telling him that Sirius was already home. Steeling himself, he stepped into the cottage without calling out his usual greeting, hoping to draw as little attention to himself as possible. At the sound of the door closing, Sirius appeared in the hallway, looking relieved.

"There you are, I was beginning to worry!" he pressed a quick kiss to Remus' lips then sucked in his breath. "Merlin's beard, Moony, you're freezing!"

"S'cold outside," he murmured, shrugging out of his cloak and stepping past Sirius, who followed him to the living room. Remus sank into the old armchair by the fire while Sirius rifled through a pile of letters on the coffee table.

"Here, a letter came for you," he said lazily, tossing it onto Remus' lap. His stomach clenched as he recognised Mrs Davies' handwriting—it must have arrived just after he had left for work.

"Dinner's waiting for you in the kitchen. I put a stasis charm on it to keep it warm for you. I hope beans and toast are okay," said Sirius, flopping down onto the nearby couch. "After dinner, I thought that we could use the dress-up voucher if you fancy it? I'll even let you pick my costume, but knowing you, I think Cindy ought to make an appearance this evening. What do you think?

Sirius grinned and wagged his eyebrows suggestively at Remus, expecting him to respond, but he just stared into the flames dancing in the small fireplace, looking miserable.

"I'm not really in the mood tonight, Padfoot," he said quietly. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Giving up already?" Sirius teased. "We're only halfway through the vouchers! Come on, old man, don't give up on me now!"

"I said I'm not in the mood," he replied firmly and Sirius' smile fell.

"Merlin, who put a stick up your arse?" he asked irritably. Remus crossed his arms and said nothing. Sirius' cheerful disposition, which he normally loved, was really getting on his nerves tonight.

"You're doing it again," said Sirius suddenly. Remus looked up at him.

"Doing what?"

"Shutting yourself off from me when something is bothering you. It's the same thing every time: rather than just telling me what it is, I'm going to have to waste half of the evening prying it out of you, then we'll end up pissed off with each other and arguing," he said irritably. "So, how about we just cut the bullshit and you tell me what's wrong?"

Remus glared at the letter in his lap and said nothing.

"Is it something I've done?" asked Sirius curiously.

"No!" said Remus quickly. "No, this...it isn't your fault, it's mine…"

"What is?" Sirius implored. Remus sighed and he tossed the unopened letter at Sirius. Sirius picked it up and turned it over in his hand, a confused expression on his face.

"I got sacked," Remus admitted. Sirius' head snapped up and he gaped at Remus.

"What?" he stammered. "I- _why_? What happened?"

Remus nodded to the letter, encouraging Sirius to read it; the lump in his throat made it too difficult for him to speak. Sirius tore open the letter and began to read, his eyes darting across the paper. His expression morphed from confusion to shock, then into one of outrage as the colour rose in his cheeks. When he was finished reading the letter, he scrunched it up in his fist and tossed it across the room.

"Bitch!" he snarled, his face contorted with fury. "Who the fuck does she think she is?"

"Someone who is scared and misinformed," said Remus simply. "I tried reasoning with her, but she'd already made up her mind. I'm sorry, Sirius…"

"Sorry?" Sirius snapped, rounding on Remus. "What the hell have you got to be sorry about? You haven't done anything wrong! She's the one who should be sorry."

"She thinks she's doing what's best for her son," Remus explained calmly. "She's just trying to protect him."

"She's a fucking bigot, that's what she is!" he jumped to his feet and stalked out of the living room, Remus' eyes following him wearily. When he reappeared a few moments later he had his boots and travelling cloak on. He snatched the discarded letter from the floor and stuffed it into his cloak pocket before turning on his heel towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" asked Remus cautiously, although he had a good idea what the answer was going to be.

"I'm going to have a little chat with Mrs Davies," he muttered, striding towards the exit. "Just stay here, Remus, I'll sort this out."

"No, you won't," Remus warned, jumping to his feet and hurrying after him. Sirius was already opening the front door when Remus pressed his hand against it and forced it shut again. Sirius let out an exasperated sigh and glared at him.

"Move out of the way, Moony."

"No," he replied forcefully. "I can't let you do this."

"Why not?" Sirius shouted. "She's insulted and humiliated you! You're probably going to lose your other clients because of her! She needs to know the damage that she's causing!"

"She knows," Remus countered stiffly. "She just doesn't care. But there's nothing you can do about it. She's perfectly within her legal rights to sack me: for being a werewolf, for being gay, or whatever other reason she sees fit. It's shitty and it's unfair, but it's the law."

"So, what? You expect me to just sit on my hands and do nothing?" he raged.

"Yes, I expect you to do exactly that!" Remus snapped. "There's no point talking to her, Sirius. You won't change her mind and it won't get me my job back, so just drop it!"

"But—"

"Think sensibly about this for a moment," Remus cut in. "If you turn up at her house ranting and raving at her about sacking me, she'll just contact the Aurors and you'll get into all sorts of trouble. You could lose your job."

"I don't care," he snarled.

"Yes, you do," Remus countered. Sirius clenched his fists and paced back and forth like an attack dog ready to pounce before kicking the front door in frustration.

"This is bullshit!" he shouted.

"I know," Remus sighed, rubbing his tired face. Sirius paused and gave Remus a hard look.

"How are you so calm about this?" he asked accusingly. "Why aren't you angrier?"

"I _am_ angry!" Remus cried, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. "I am pissed off and ashamed and... _humiliated_ ," Remus buried his face into his hands. "Christ, it was so humiliating. I wanted to tell her to stick the job up her arse but still I begged for her to reconsider, even though I knew deep down that she wouldn't."

Sirius' expression changed from anger to pity, which only made Remus feel worse. He'd much rather Sirius be angry than feeling sorry for him, it made him feel even more inadequate. He lowered his gaze, too ashamed to even look him in the eye.

"I just...with Christmas coming up, we're so short of money as it is... I just panicked and begged like a fucking dog for scraps, and then she said no anyway," he continued. "And then I lost my temper and basically told her that she was a terrible parent and I knew then there was no chance of me getting my job back and—"

Remus' rambling was muted by Sirius cupping his cheeks and kissing him hard on the mouth, cutting him off mid-sentence. The maelstrom of emotions inside of Remus stilled for a moment, shocked by the suddenness of the kiss and its tenderness. When Sirius finally broke the kiss, Remus stared at him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"A distraction," said Sirius quietly, stroking Remus' cheeks with his thumbs. "Did it work?"

"Uh...yeah, I suppose it did," he laughed feebly. He gave Sirius an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Siri..."

"Shh, you've nothing to be sorry about," Sirius assured him, kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry I lost my head there for a minute."

"Well, you have been known to do that on occasion," Remus joked, smiling weakly. Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you suggesting that I'm impulsive? Hot-headed?" he asked with mock annoyance.

"Spontaneous. Passionate," Remus countered, then relented, "And...yes, a little impulsive from time to time."

Sirius shrugged carelessly, "I've been called a lot worse." He sighed and leant against the front door, "This is pure bollocks, Moony. Sacking you the week before Christmas? What a fucking Grinch."

"I know," he mumbled, looking mournfully at Sirius, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly, pulling Remus into a tight hug. "We'll work something out. We always do. There isn't a lot we can do about it right now, so...for now, I suggest we distract each other. How does that sound?"

Remus let out a shaky sigh and closed his eyes, "That sounds good."

"Okay," he took Remus' hand and tugged him in the direction of the bedroom. "Come on. I know something that'll take your mind off of everything."


	11. Cindy the Slutty Sorceress

Remus sat on the end of the bed waiting patiently for Sirius to get ready with his 'distraction', mercifully without ropes this time around. Not that he hadn't enjoyed being tied up, but he was keen to see Sirius on the receiving end next time. He felt a fluttering in his chest at the thought of Sirius being tied up, legs spread wide apart and completely at his mercy. Yes, they would have to try that at some point in the near future…

The sharp click of high heels on wood snapped Remus from his pleasant daydream and the fluttering sensation in his chest intensified. He was glad he'd taken the trouble to strip down to his trousers before they got things started; he didn't fancy fighting with his shirt and socks while they were in the throes of passion. He sat up a little straighter as the bedroom door creaked open and Sirius called through to him.

"You ready for me?" he asked.

"Ready and willing," Remus smirked. Sirius chuckled to himself.

"Oh my dear Mother, if she could see me now," he said gleefully.

"Bit of a boner killer talking about your mother, Padfoot," he pointed out.

"Ah. Right you are, Moony, sorry about that," he cleared his throat and announced, "We proudly present, for one night only—for your viewing and sexual pleasure—Cindy the Slutty Sorceress!"

Remus whistled and applauded as Sirius stepped dramatically into the bedroom, revealing his outfit in its entirety. Remus' eyes pored hungrily over the delectable sight before him: the black fishnet stockings seemed to go on forever, the high heels only accentuating his toned calves and thighs. Merlin, Sirius was all lean muscle and long legs. Sirius held his arms out and turned slowly on the spot for Remus' perusal, his heels _click click_ clicking on the floor as he turned.

"You like?" he asked seductively, raising a pencilled eyebrow. The black corset cinched in tightly around his slim midriff giving him the illusion of a wasp-waist. His dusty pink nipples brushed against the top of the corset and Remus had to resist the temptation to grab Sirius and swipe his tongue across them. Instead, he swallowed hard as his eyes trailed lower towards the prominent bulge pressed against the black silky knickers.

"I fucking love it," Remus breathed, palming the growing erection in his trousers. Sirius' eyes followed Remus' hand movements and he ran his sinful tongue over his cupid-bow lips, which were painted ruby red.

"I can see that," he drawled, rolling his hips seductively as he stepped towards him. Placing his hands on Remus' shoulders, he straddled his lap, pressing their erections together and rolling his hips to increase the friction. Remus stifled a groan and gripped Sirius' waist tightly to steady them both.

"As you can see, I'm dressed in my Sunday best. What do you say we get out of here and paint the town red?" Sirius teased.

"I'd love to but…" Remus glanced down at the erection straining his trousers and grunted in discomfort. "This might cause me some trouble."

"Well, lucky for you I know something that can solve that," he replied silkily. He gyrated his hips and Remus felt another delicious spark of pleasure shoot through his cock and up his spine. His eyes fluttered at the sensation and he struggled to focus on anything beyond the mounting pleasure in his groin.

"Really? Umm…" he swallowed hard. "What have you got in mind?"

Sirius smirked and pressed his hand to Remus' chest, pushing him flat onto the bed before sinking to his knees between Remus' legs. Remus' heart began to race as Sirius unbuttoned his trousers and hiked them down to his ankles. Sirius paused.

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked sounding amused, running his hands licentiously over the golden hot pants Remus had hidden under his trousers. He propped himself up onto his elbows and looked expectantly at Sirius.

"You asked me to wear them a while back and I refused. I figured since you made the effort of getting dressed up for me tonight that I ought to make an effort, too," he glanced uncertainly between the hot pants and Sirius. "You don't think they're a bit much, do you?"

Sirius gave him a withering look, "I'm on my knees in a corset and stilettos, Moony. Your hot pants are practically Church-worthy by comparison."

"Fair point," he conceded. "So, you like them?"

Sirius gave him a wicked grin, "Oh, I love them." he leaned forward and ran his tongue over the fabric and across the outline of Remus' erection. Remus groaned and flopped back onto the bed, letting Sirius work his magic. His dexterous fingers pulled Remus' cock free from the tight briefs and he swiped his tongue across the slit before taking the tip into his mouth and sucking it gently.

"Oh fuck," Remus tried to control his breathing but it was a losing battle. Sirius was relentless, swirling his tongue over the sensitive head and down the shaft as he dragged his ruby red lips up and down his length, smearing lipstick all over it. Remus groaned, carefully rolled his hips into Sirius' mouth and Sirius moaned loudly and deliberately in response, sending a pleasant vibration through Remus' body.

"Fuck…" Remus whimpered. "If you keep doing that I'm going to come all over that pretty face of yours."

Sirius made a satisfied sound and removed his mouth from Remus' cock, his hand immediately taking over from where his lips and tongue had left off. Taking a firm grip at the base he began to pump back and forth at a languid pace while he massaged Remus' balls with his free hand.

"Would you like that?" he asked in a low, sultry voice.

"I don't want to ruin your makeup."

"I don't give a fuck about my makeup," he countered, his hand moving faster across Remus' cock. "Just tell me what you want, Remy. I'll give you anything you want."

Remus already knew what he wanted. He placed his hand on top of Sirius' and he stilled, "I want to taste you, too."

Sirius grinned broadly. He pressed a quick kiss to the tip of Remus' cock before rising to his feet, slipping the silky knickers down his thighs, and releasing his cock. When he straightened, his cock reared up, hard and thick and already weeping at the tip. He stepped out of the knickers and put his hands on his hips, tapping the tip of his heeled toe on the floor.

"Where do you want me?"

Remus beckoned him forward, "Sit on my face, I want to feel you."

Sirius crawled onto the bed and positioned himself on top of Remus, aligning their mouths with each other's cocks. Remus felt hot desire coiling in the pit of his stomach at the sight before him: Sirius' perfect, pink cock mere inches from his lips, simply begging to be touched. He ran his hands up Sirius' taut thighs and across the rough material of the fishnet stockings, delighting at the dips and contours of his boyfriend's perfect body, before coming to rest on his perky arse. He pulled Sirius' hips down towards his lips and Sirius lowered himself onto Remus' expectant mouth. He let out a sharp breath when Remus licked and kissed the sweet heat between his legs, breathing in the intoxicating scent of his body that drew him in and would not let him go. Remus moaned as Sirius mimicked his movements, lapping his tongue over his shaft before opening his mouth wider and pushing the sweet, swollen flesh past his wet lips, suckling at the tip before taking more of his length into his needy mouth.

Remus liked how connected he felt to Sirius at that moment, both physically and emotionally, each intrinsically knowing how to please the other. He sighed contentedly and wrapped his arms around Sirius' waist, holding him close, as Sirius' hands slid languidly across his body leaving delicious tingles in their wake. Merlin, he loved Sirius' hands as much as that mouth of his. They knew every inch of Remus' body in intimate detail: which scars were the most sensitive, which ones elicited pain or pleasure at his touch. Sirius' fingers gently traced across a deep scar on his inner thigh, causing Remus to shiver at the sensation, his body tensing and his legs beginning to shake as his orgasm loomed ever nearer, desire pulsing hard and fast through his body like a heartbeat, each beat pushing him closer and closer to the point of no return.

The feeling of damp flesh and silk and soft leather against his skin made Remus' head fog with desire and he relished how their bodies undulated together, hands dancing across bare flesh as they sucked each other's cocks, each stroke edging them nearer to completion. He spread his legs further apart, bracing himself for the impending climax and he felt a slick finger probe his entrance, sliding in smoothly as Sirius continued to suck his cock. Remus stiffened and his toes curled as the first wave of his orgasm crashed over him, obliterating every tangible thought and worry and fear in one glorious wave of ecstasy. A long, low groan burst out of him as he came in desperate throbs down Sirius' throat. For a moment, he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, he could only feel, and it felt like heaven as he was consumed entirely by a pleasure so exquisite, so overwhelming, he thought that he might shatter and dissolve into nothing.

As his orgasm subsided, he felt Sirius flex his hips and his cock twitched in Remus' mouth. He knew that Sirius must be close to coming, so he pushed past his dreamy post-orgasmic haze and began sucking harder, lapping his tongue over the sensitive head. A moment later Sirius let out a hoarse moan, his fingers pressing almost painfully into Remus' thighs as he came. Sirius' thighs shook and his cock pulsed, filling Remus' mouth with come, and he swallowed it down hungrily, relishing the feeling of Sirius' body pressed against his own, trembling and moaning freely as he rode the wave of his own powerful orgasm.

As Sirius' orgasm subsided and his cock softened in Remus' mouth, he rolled clumsily onto his side off of Remus' chest, panting hard and a dreamy, far-away look in his smokey-grey eyes. Remus stroked his leg reassuringly, too boneless and tired to sit up or speak yet.

"Thank you," he managed to huff out. Sirius shuffled around and rested his head on Remus' hip, smiling softly. His make-up was a mess, red lipstick smeared all over his mouth and his mascara and eyeliner was smudged across his face. He looked utterly debauched and Remus thought he'd never looked more beautiful.

"Believe me, the pleasure's all mine," he took Remus' hand into his own and laced their fingers together. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better," he sighed. "Things seem less urgent immediately after an orgasm."

"I wholeheartedly agree. Sex helps put things into perspective," Sirius agreed. "It clears the mind of all useless and intrusive thoughts, providing sheer clarity as to what really matters in life."

Remus gave him an inquisitive look, "Which is…"

"Sex, obviously," he shrugged. Remus snorted.

"Obviously…"

"Well, not just sex," he relented. "But things that make you feel good - good food, good drink, good times..."

"You're quite the bon vivant, aren't you?" Remus teased gently.

"I'm serious!" he said imploringly. "Think about it—we only live one life, yeah?"

"I believe so, yes," he nodded in agreement, unsure of what point Sirius was trying to make.

"Well, if we only get one shot at life, we might as well enjoy it," Sirius argued. "I'm not sorry for what or who I am. I mean, look at me!" he swept a hand dramatically across his body. "Even by the wizarding world's standards, I'm a freak—an immoral, disinherited, cock-loving horndog. And you know what? I fucking love my life. If I spent all my time worrying about what other people thought about me, I'd be miserable. So, I just don't concern myself with what anyone else thinks about me."

"Easier said than done," Remus mused. Sirius squeezed his hand.

"I know it's not easy," he said gently. "Unfortunately, there's always going to be people like Mrs Davies out there trying to rain on our parade, Remus. But their opinions don't mean jack shit. She thinks that we're freaks and monsters? Fine. Let's embrace it and be happier for it. If we only live one life, Remus, let's live for us. Let's focus on what makes us happy: deep connections, inner peace, love…" he gave a slight shrug and smiled. "Amazing sex."

An aching feeling of love and happiness bloomed in his heart for Sirius at that moment. Sirius had never been self-conscious about his body or shy about his sexuality; it was something that Remus had always envied and admired about him. Confidence radiated off of him like heat from the sun and it was addictive to Remus. Sirius was the sun and he was the moon; he shone when he was with Sirius because Sirius brought out the best in him. He knew that Sirius was right: he was never going to please everyone, and he had no inclination to change who he was, either. For the most part, he was happy with who he was. He was still worried about what was going to happen, of course—with work, with money—but he loved his life with his boyfriend, so really he already had more than most. He pulled Sirius' hand towards him and kissed it before placing it over his heart.

"I suppose life is pretty sweet," he mused. Sirius smiled at him.

"It is with you, Moony."

Remus chuckled and squeezed Sirius' hand, "And you, Padfoot."


	12. Party at the Potter's Cottage

"I'm really not in the mood for this, Padfoot," sighed Remus. Sirius hooked his arm through Remus' and pulled him closer.

"You always get a bit jittery before a social event. You'll be fine once you get in there," he assured him. "A couple Firewhiskys wouldn't go amiss, either. That'll loosen you up."

"This isn't social anxiety, I'm just not in the mood to talk to anyone," he argued. Remus and Sirius walked through the quiet village of Godric's Hollow, two chocolate fruitcakes, as promised, and a large bag of presents in tow. After the shock of losing his job the previous day, it came as no surprise that Remus was in a less than celebratory mood. Sirius had managed to talk him into attending the annual Christmas party at the Potter's on the promise that they would go home whenever he was ready, regardless of how early it was. However, the closer they got to their intended destination, Remus' reservations about attending grew. His pace slowed as they approached the house, as though hoping if he walked slowly enough he might never arrive. Sirius sighed and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Do you really want to go home?" he asked gently.

"Yes and no," Remus replied honestly, shuffling awkwardly from one foot to the other before shrugging. "I don't know…"

Sirius dropped the large bag he was carrying onto the ground and pulled Remus into a tight hug, which he gladly returned. He felt the tension in his body ease and he let out a long, weary sigh, melting into Sirius' arms. It was funny how something so small as a hug could make him feel so much better.

"Do you require another distraction?" Sirius joked. Remus chuckled.

"As much as I'd love another distraction, I don't fancy doing it outside."

"Fair enough." Sirius rubbed their cold noses together and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "We could always go home and distract ourselves then come back to the party later?"

"You're determined to shag me, aren't you?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he smirked. "Seriously though, if you're not feeling up to it, we can go home."

Remus considered the offer for a moment before shaking his head, "No, I'll muster my Gryffindor bravery and stay for at least one drink. I'll see how I feel after that."

"Sounds good," Sirius smiled warmly, his eyes fixed on Remus' lips. Remus cupped his cheek and kissed him again, relishing the heat of Sirius' hot mouth as the cold air nipped his bare cheeks. Funny how a kiss could make him feel so much better than a hug.

"Oi! Get a room, you two!" called a familiar, jovial voice. Remus and Sirius broke their kiss and turned towards the small man with mousy brown hair standing behind them, grinning broadly. "Wotcher, Padfoot. Moony."

"Wormtail!" cried Sirius cheerfully, pulling his friend into a tight hug before lifting him off of the ground and spinning him on the spot. "How the bloody hell are you?"

Peter Pettigrew yelled and laughed as his arms and legs flailed wildly before Sirius placed him roughly back onto the ground, his feet slipping a little on the wet snow. He looked a little dazed, but happy, as his gaze, slightly cross-eyed, turned to Remus. "Better now I'm back on solid ground. How are you two getting on?"

Remus stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "We're doing well, thanks. How's life treating you at Gringotts?"

Peter's watery blue eyes sparkled. "Ahh, life at the bank has improved immensely since we last spoke! I found a treasure there greater than anything goblin made! Here, I'd like you to meet someone…" he turned and beckoned a woman forward that Sirius and Remus hadn't noticed had been standing quietly off to the side as the three friends had gotten reacquainted. She was a willowy-looking woman at least a head taller than Peter, with frizzy brown hair and a thick woollen shawl wrapped around her slim frame. She looked a little nervous as she stepped closer to them.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Sybil," said Peter. "Sybil, this is Sirius and Remus."

Sybil held out her spindly hand in greeting to Sirius. "It's lovely to finally meet you both. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope," Sirius joked, taking Sybil's hand into his own. "It's nice to meet you."

As soon as their hands made contact, Sybil's eyes widened and she gasped, "My dear man, you are a dark star."

Sirius' smile faltered, "Sorry, I'm a what now?"

"A dark star," she declared cryptically. "Dark tidings approach; on the morrow, the harbinger of death shall arrive at your door and two stars shall collide…"

Sirius raised his eyebrow sceptically and glanced at Peter. "Is she taking the piss?"

"Oh, not at all!" he said fervently. "I'm sorry, we probably should have warned you — Sybil here has 'the gift'."

"The gift?" asked Sirius, looking even more perplexed. Peter looked dreamily at Sybil.

"Yep, she's a Seer," he declared proudly. "And a bloody good one at that!"

Sybil blushed and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, you! Well, I suppose I am more sensitive than most to the cosmic vibrations that permeate the known universe. My ancestor is Cassandra Trelawney, you know…"

Sirius dropped his hand by his side and took a step away from Sybil, looking bemused. She held out her hand expectantly to Remus and he stared at it apprehensively. He was half in mind about swatting it away and heading straight home, but social etiquette overruled his instinct and he reluctantly took her hand into his own. Once again, her eyes widened and she gasped, her grip tightening around his hand.

"You are a child of the moon!" she cried sorrowfully. "You have already suffered many great losses in your life."

The hairs on the back of Remus' neck stood on end and he found that he couldn't look away from those large, protuberant eyes boring into him. Sirius tsked and rolled his eyes.

"But you have phoenix fire in you, my dear man. From the ashes, another opportunity will arise," she declared in a warbling, mysterious tone.

Sirius snorted, "Come off it."

"Well, that's a relief," Remus laughed weakly, trying to pry his hand free from Sybil's vice-like grip. She may be spindly like a bird but she had a deceptively strong grip. Sybil's eyes grew impossibly wide, so wide that Remus had legitimate concerns that her eyeballs would pop out of her head. She grasped his shoulder and gave it a light shake.

"I see a moonchild!" she cried. "From death comes a child born of the moon and stars…"

"Alright, that's enough fortune-telling for one day!" Sirius cut in, snatching his bag off of the ground and grabbing Remus' arm. "Come on, it's bloody freezing out here."

"We'll catch up!" Peter called cheerfully after them. "Sybil wants to check out the local graveyard first."

"There is a powerful, mystic energy radiating from this hallowed ground," she breathed, shuffling dazedly towards the graveyard with Peter by her side, who watched her with great interest. Sirius glowered at them and shook his head before stalking off towards the cottage.

"Batty, that one," he muttered under his breath.

"Can we go home now?" Remus grumbled.

As they approached the Potter's cottage they could hear muffled voices and laughter from within. Sirius chapped the door loudly and a few seconds later it swung open, the muted Christmas music suddenly growing louder.

"Padfoot! Moony!" James greeted them brightly. "How're you doing, lads? Come in, come in, cloaks are being kept in the front room on the first floor."

Remus stepped into the cottage, wiping his feet on the mat, and shrugged out of his cloak, glad to be out of the biting cold. Sirius, however, didn't move.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing at James' lip.

"What?" he asked, touching the newly grown cigar moustache. "Don't you like it?"

"You look like a poor man's Freddie Mercury, mate," he teased. Remus snorted and James glowered at him.

"What are you on about? This is the height of fashion, Padfoot!" he protested, adding, "Magnum P.I. has one!"

"You, my friend, are no Tom Selleck," Sirius argued. James shook his head in disbelief.

"I invite you into my home and you insult me before I've even closed the front door," he grumbled, slamming the door shut behind him. "At least you brought cake."

"The cake's for Lily," Remus informed him, shuffling down the narrow corridor in the direction of the kitchen. "Besides, you wouldn't want to get any cake crumbs caught in that lovely moustache of yours."

Remus glanced into the living room as they passed by and saw a few people had already arrived. Harry was at the foot of the tree with Arthur's youngest son, Ronald, inspecting the large pile of Christmas presents, shaking one and trying to guess what was hidden inside.

Stepping into the kitchen, they found Lily hard at work constructing a large cheese and pineapple hedgehog. When she heard the trio enter the kitchen, she looked up from her centrepiece and smiled.

"Hello, boys," she greeted them warmly and pulled them both into a tight hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Sirius and Remus chorused. Remus held up two large Tupperware boxes.

"Two chocolate fruit cakes for the lady of the house, as requested."

Lily gave him an appraising look and kissed his cheek. "My hero. Just leave them on the counter and grab yourselves a drink. We've got butterbeer in the fridge."

"You got any Firewhisky?" asked Sirius hopefully.

"In the cupboard," she replied. "Bought it especially for you."

Sirius pulled a large bottle of Old Ogden's Firewhisky from the cupboard and poured three measures into plastic cups. "Oh Lil, if only I weren't already spoken for, I'd marry you myself."

"They're making fun of my moustache," James complained, taking one of the plastic cups Sirius offered him. "Tell them how dashing you think it looks on me."

"Oh, it's very dashing," she said lightly, adding more pickles and cheese to her hedgehog centrepiece. "I still think you look like a Burt Reynolds impersonator…"

Remus snorted into his drink and Sirius barked out a laugh, slapping a distraught-looking James heartily on the back.

"You said that you liked it!" he cried indignantly. Lily smirked.

"I said that I was happy for so long as you were, dear," she corrected him. James stroked his bushy moustache thoughtfully.

"I think it makes me look distinguished," he muttered.

"Uncle Remy! Uncle Siri!"

Harry and Ron came running into the kitchen closely followed by two taller, identical red-headed boys. Harry launched himself at Sirius, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs and nearly knocking his godfather off balance. Sirius grinned and lifted Harry into his arms. "Harry, m'boy! How're you doing? Merlin's beard, look how big you've grown since I last saw you! You're almost as tall as your dad."

"Harry, son," James implored. "Tell everyone what you think of Daddy's moustache."

Harry screwed up his face in contemplation, "I think it looks like a caterpillar."

James stalked out of the kitchen in annoyance as uproarious laughter followed him, muttering under his breath about 'bloody traitors' and 'no sense of style'.

"Uncle Siri, come play with us," Harry asked keenly. The Weasleys and Harry begged and pleaded for him to play and Sirius looked eager to join them, but he cast a furtive glance at Remus to gauge his reaction. He had promised Remus they could go home if he wasn't feeling up to staying at the party, but Remus couldn't deny him the chance to spend some quality time with his godson. Besides, he had Lily and James as back-up. He gave Sirius a small smile and shrugged.

"Knock yourself out," he said, taking a sip from his drink. Sirius grinned and lifted Harry onto his shoulders.

"Come on, lads! Let's grab our coats and broomsticks," he declared as he marched out of the kitchen. "I've got some neat aerial acrobatics they taught us at the Auror Academy to show you!"

Lily put the finishing touches on her centrepiece, looking it over once to check that it was perfect.

"Do you need a hand in here, Lil?" Remus offered.

"No, I'm on top of things, thanks." She flashed him a brilliant smile and handed him the centrepiece. "Put that on the side table in the living room for me, will you?"

"Sure, I'll be back in a minute."

"Oh, don't worry about me!" she said, waving him off. "You go in there and enjoy the party with everyone else."

"I don't mind keeping you company," he said hopefully, but Lily shook her head.

"I'm good," she assured him. "Go on, enjoy the party!"

Reluctantly, Remus left the kitchen and entered the living room where the Christmas party was in full swing. Peter and Sybil stood in the far corner of the room, deep in conversation with Arthur and Molly Weasley. By their confused expressions, Remus guessed that Sybil was giving them cryptic predictions about their future, too. Keen to avoid another unsettling conversation with Peter's new belle, he sidled through the crowded room to the opposite corner where Frank and Alice Longbottom stood chatting amongst themselves and sharing a plateful of appetisers.

"Evening Frank, Alice," Remus smiled politely at them. "Merry Christmas."

"Remus!" Frank gave Remus a firm handshake while Alice pecked him on the cheek. "Merry Christmas to you, too. How've you been?"

"Where's Neville?" asked Remus, avoiding the question.

"He's staying at Mum's tonight," Frank explained. "Gives us the night to ourselves for a change. I mean, we see each other every day at the office, but it's not really the same, is it?"

"We can't enjoy a drink at work," smirked Alice, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "Speaking of, how's your work going, Remus? You're still tutoring, aren't you?"

"It's fine," he lied, his stomach twisting horrible thinking about Mrs Davies. He tried to turn the conversation away from himself again, "How about you two? Sounds like there's a lot going on in the department at the moment. Sirius' been run off his feet the last few weeks."

Frank groaned and rolled his eyes. "Merlin, don't get me started. It's an absolute farce, I tell you! We're underpaid, understaffed, and mismanaged—"

"Are you complaining about the workload again, Longbottom?" boomed an authoritative voice. Alice squealed and quickly covered her mouth to stifle the sound and Frank's back went as straight as a rod. A large, burly man hobbled over to their corner of the room, his wooden leg tapping loudly on the floor with each step. He had one small dark eye fixed unwaveringly on Frank while his electric blue one whizzed wildly in its socket.

"M-Mad-Eye! What are you doing here? _Ow!_ —" Frank stammered and quickly shut his mouth as Alice elbowed him in the ribs, drawing him a sharp look. She turned to Mad-Eye and smiled nervously at him.

"Auror Moody! It's so good to see you out of the confines of the office, sir." She pointed at the bottle of butterbeer in her hand. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Brought my own," he replied gruffly, pulling a hip flask from deep inside his travelling cloak. He popped the cap off and took a quick swig, grimacing at the taste before slipping it back into his pocket. "What was that you were saying about the department being _underfunded_ and _overworked_?"

"Nothing," said Frank quickly. "Only, we were just saying that the department could use more bodies. What with the increased workload and all…"

Mad-Eye glowered at Frank for a moment as though sizing him up. Remus took a half-step back, planning to make his escape from the argument about to erupt, when Mad-Eye gave a curt nod in agreement.

"I couldn't agree more, Longbottom. Bloody Crouch and his cronies sitting in their ivory tower dictating to me about budgets and margins. Dark wizards don't give a crap about us balancing the books!" he shouted. "I'm an Auror for Merlin's sake, not a bloody bookkeeper. Our job is to keep the streets safe!"

The tension in Frank and Alice's shoulders eased a little and they smiled and nodded in agreement. "Oh yes! We quite agree! Absolutely disgraceful…"

Remus took his opportunity to escape then. Slipping back into the crowd, he left Mad-Eye to rage about internal politics and corruption at the Ministry to the Longbottoms. Stepping back out into the hall, Remus almost had his legs taken out from under him as a streak of orange fur darted past and out of the front door's cat flap. Thundering footsteps followed moments later as a shaggy black dog came galloping down the stairs in hot pursuit of the cat, Harry clinging for dear life on his back.

"Padfoot!" Remus groaned as Sirius scratched and whined at the front door. He turned and looked expectantly at Remus, wagging his bushy tail.

"Open the door, Uncle Remy!" Harry cried. "We need to catch Jasper!"

Remus rolled his eyes and opened the front door for them. Sirius let out a loud bark of thanks and took off down the snowy path after the cat, Harry laughing and squealing with delight as they hurtled down a side street and out of sight. Remus closed the door and only managed a couple of steps when someone knocked on the door. Sighing, he turned and opened the door to be met with a huge, shaggy figure, so large that he blotted out the sinking sun.

"Evening, Hagrid," Remus greeted him politely. "Come on in…"

Remus spent the next couple of hours wandering aimlessly from room to room, engaging in small talk and avoiding answering the usual questions about how he was feeling and how work was going. Instead, he tried to steer the conversation back to whoever he was talking to: how were Arabella's kneazles fairing? How was Marlene's Healer apprenticeship going? Did Fabian really think that the Chudley Cannons were going to win the Quidditch League this year?

His evasive skills were put to the test, however, when, later in the evening, Professor McGonagall caught his eye and beckoned him over. Remus sighed and sidled over to where his old Transfiguration professor sat nursing a Gillywater Cocktail, her expression unusually stern. She patted the empty seat next to her and he sank into it, already feeling apprehensive.

"You've been avoiding me," she pointed out, taking a sip from her drink. He had, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"I've just not had the chance to come speak to you yet," he lied. Merlin, he'd been doing a lot of that this evening. "How are you, Professor? Are you staying at Hogwarts over Christmas?"

"You know fine well I am," she replied briskly. "I always do. How is the tutoring coming along?"

"S'fine," he replied shortly.

"You're a terrible liar," she mused. "Let me ask you again: what happened? Answer me truthfully, now."

Remus' heart sank. "You heard, then."

"I did," she confirmed shortly. She kept her voice low enough so that no-one else could overhear them. "Word travels fast amongst parents, they gossip worse than school girls. From what I was told, Chester Davies' mother took issue with your unique predicament."

"You heard correctly," Remus sighed.

"And she has taken it upon herself to spread the word to other parents?" she asked bitterly.

"It would seem so, yes."

"Foul woman," McGonagall hissed, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I remember her at school: she was an ignoramus even back then and it doesn't appear much has changed over the years. It's a wonder she got sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Stupid or not, there's nowt to be done about my situation, Professor. I'm just going to have to try and find work elsewhere."

McGonagall hesitated a moment before asking, "Wouldn't you consider coming to work at Hogwarts?"

Remus grunted, "I have considered it. A lot. I've asked Professor Dumbledore on several occasions to keep me in mind if any jobs became available, but he's always chosen to employ staff members with less... _complex_ issues than myself. Not that I blame him; I'm sure it was hard enough having a werewolf on the premises when I was a student."

"We managed your situation just fine," said McGonagall briskly. "The Whomping Willow and Shrieking Shack are still in place if you or any student are ever in need of it. And of course, with the creation of the Wolfsbane Potion, there's an extra level of safety in place."

"I can't always afford the Wolfsbane Potion," he explained solemnly. "Even on a teacher's salary, I'd struggle."

"What if Severus made it for you?" she asked. Remus couldn't help but laugh aloud.

"Oh, I'm sure he'd love that," he sneered. McGonagall ignored his outburst and continued.

"We could provide you with a regular supply of the potion. You'd never have to worry about being able to afford it."

Remus' eyes narrowed. "Are you offering me a job?"

"A position may be opening up in the near future," she confirmed, albeit cryptically. "Why, would you be interested?"

 _Definitely_ , he thought. A spark of hope flared up inside of him, but he quickly tempered it knowing better than to get his hopes up — he knew all too well the higher your hopes got, the harder you fall. Instead, he asked the most pressing question of them all, "This all sounds very interesting, Professor, but I have to ask — what about Sirius?"

"What about him?" she asked curiously. He drew her a hard look.

"In the very small, extremely unlikely chance that I was offered a job at Hogwarts, I wouldn't accept without Sirius being able to live with me. I know that my...what was it Mrs Davies called it — 'life style choices' — might upset some parents more than having a werewolf on the teaching staff. But as much as it might shock or upset people, I'm not going to bow to pressure and pretend that I'm something that I'm not and sideline him for the sake of a job. Sirius and I are a package deal, so, it's all or nothing, Professor. And if that's a problem then I'm afraid you're going to have to find someone else for the job, whatever it is."

Remus half-expected McGonagall to order him detention for his cheek, but instead, her eyes watered and she smiled warmly at him.

"Very well. I shall speak to the Headmaster and pass on your terms." She rose to her feet and brushed her robes down before giving him a light pat on the shoulder. "You always had strong Ravenclaw leanings, Remus, but it's moments like this when I see the true Gryffindor in you come to the surface. I better get back to the castle before Filch locks up the gates for the evening. Please tell Sirius I was asking for him."

Remus frowned at her, "But...you didn't even tell me what the job was!"

McGonagall, pretending she hadn't heard him, simply waved him off and marched out of the room without another word.

* * *

"I don't want to," Harry whimpered.

"It's getting late, love," Lily crooned, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead. "It's already past your bedtime."

"I'm not sleepy," he protested weakly. "I want to play with Ron."

"Ron's away home, son," James explained gently. "His mum's taken him home because it's past his bedtime, too."

Harry groaned and buried his head into his mother's long hair. The party was in full swing and Harry was reluctant to go to bed for fear of missing something exciting, but he was struggling to keep his eyes open; playing with his Uncle Siri all evening had worn him out.

Remus stepped into the kitchen and found Sirius, James and Lily sitting at the kitchen table trying to coax Harry into going to bed. James looked up at Remus and gave him a small wave.

"How's the party going through there?" asked James.

"In full swing," he said, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Sybil is predicting everyone's demise. Mad-Eye looks ready to hex her."

James groaned and rose slowly to his feet. "I better go rescue everyone from her doomsday predictions." He looked towards Lily, "Are you okay seeing him off to bed?"

Lily placed another kiss on Harry's forehead. "Okay, I'll take him upstairs and read him his bedtime story. You go play host for a bit."

"I'll do it," Sirius piped up eagerly. "I don't mind reading him a story."

"Are you sure?" asked Lily. Sirius reached forward and took Harry out of her arms and into his own, holding him close. "Nah, it's no problem! Sybil's a bit of a handful — dealing with her is a two-man job. Besides, you guys have been so busy running the party that you haven't had the chance to enjoy any of it! I'll take care of this for you."

Lily looked relieved. "Thank you, Sirius."

James patted him on the shoulder. "Cheers mate. We'll have a drink waiting for you when you get back!"

As James and Lily wandered into the living room to join the party, Sirius beckoned Remus to follow. Harry nuzzled his head against Sirius' shoulder as they climbed the stairs, his eyes already drooping from tiredness but his grip on Sirius' shirt was unrelinquishing. Remus followed close behind, watching from the doorway as Sirius got Harry into his pyjamas and tucked under the covers of his small bed. Sirius knelt by the side of his bed, stroking Harry's messy hair and smiling softly at him. For all his antics and misbehaviour, Remus couldn't deny that Sirius had strong paternal instincts. Watching him interact with Harry this evening, playing with him, making him laugh, getting him tucked into bed like it was the most natural thing in the world...it was one thing talking about kids, but seeing the way Sirius had acted towards Harry tonight, Remus suddenly had a real and overwhelming sense of how just much Sirius wanted to do this with a child of their own. His desire was written all over his face and it was a hunger that Remus recognised in himself, a hunger that could not be sated no matter how much he tried to fill it.

"You ready for the lights to go out?" asked Sirius. Harry nodded and Remus flicked the light switch, shrouding the bedroom in darkness. Immediately, Harry whimpered and gripped Sirius' arm tightly.

"What's up, little man?" asked Sirius gently.

"I don't like the dark," he whispered. Sirius tried to calm him but Harry couldn't settle. He squirmed in his bed and wouldn't let go of Sirius' arm.

"What's wrong with the dark?" asked Remus curiously. He couldn't see Harry's eyes but he imagined that they were wide with fright.

"Fred says there are monsters in the dark," he whispered. "They wait 'til you're asleep, then they crawl out from under your bed and suck out your soul."

"That's not true," said Sirius. "There's nothing under your bed, Harry. I swear my life on it."

"Can you check?" he asked nervously. Sirius got onto his hands and knees and groped blindly under the bed then sat back up on his knees.

"All clear."

Harry, however, remained unconvinced. He refused to go to sleep unless they assured him that the dark was safe. Suddenly, an idea came to Remus and he drew his wand, tracing it in a wide arc across the ceiling. Harry watched wide-eyed and open-mouthed as the ominously dark ceiling transformed into a beautiful night sky, glimmers of white and blue light twinkled in a ceaseless cosmic dance across the spangled, velvet-black ceiling.

"Woah, Moony," Sirius whispered. "I'm impressed."

Remus pocketed his wand again and sat carefully at the end of Harry's bed, staring up at his creation. "Lots of people are afraid of the dark, you know — afraid of what they can't see and what they don't understand — but the dark is nothing to be afraid of, Harry. Stars can't shine without darkness."

Harry's breathing gradually eased and he settled into his bed. As promised, Sirius began telling Harry his nightly bedtime story and Remus listened with growing amusement as Sirius recounted to his godson a tale of his own creation, aptly named The Tale of the Four Brothers. The brothers — a rat, stag, dog and wolf — lived in an ancient forest and created a magical map which would lead them to buried treasure and take them on great adventures. He rolled his eyes when Sirius spoke of a gruesome bat that lived in the forest that always threatened to ruin their fun — he had a fairly good idea that Sirius was referring to a greasy-haired, hooked nose friend of theirs. By the time Sirius got to the part of the story where the dog rode a flying motorcycle, Harry was fast asleep.

As quietly as possible, they snuck out of the bedroom and onto the empty landing, leaving Harry to dream beneath the safety of the starry night sky.

Sirius let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall outside Harry's bedroom. "Merlin, I was worried there for a moment that he wasn't going to go to sleep. Good work with the night sky charm, by the way. Where'd you learn to do that? It's really pretty."

"It's a simple enough charm, I could teach you sometime," he shrugged carelessly, moving closer to Sirius. He rested his hands on the wall either side of Sirius' head, boxing him in, and pressed his lips to his ear. "I have a few other tricks up my sleeve. I could show you them now if you like?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You want to do something here?"

"Like we haven't done it before?" he chuckled, ghosting their lips together. "I've been thinking about you all evening and now that I finally have you to myself, I want to take full advantage of the situation. Besides, we still have a few of my sex cheques vouchers to work our way through, and I'd like to cash one."

Sirius' steel grey eyes darkened and he bit his plump bottom lip. "That is a very tempting proposition..." His eyes flitted towards the stairwell where they could hear the soft thump of music and muffled voices from the party beneath their feet. "You don't think they'll come looking for us?"

"I thought the risk of getting caught is half the fun?" Remus challenged, leaning in and kissing the sensitive spot on Sirius' neck. Sirius' breath hitched and his eyelids fluttered and closed as Remus sucked a line of kisses along his neck and jaw before crushing their lips together in a slow, teasing kiss. Sirius groaned and groped for Remus' hand, pulling him in the direction of one of the guest bedrooms.

Sirius popped his head in first to make sure it was empty before pulling Remus in with him, closing the door quietly behind them. The small guest room was sparsely decorated, with a small double bed in the centre of the room with a large pile of guest's coats discarded on top of it. It was just what they needed for their sneaky tryst.

"We'll have to make this quick," Sirius warned, grabbing Remus' hips. Remus pushed him against the door and kissed him again, carefully slipping his knee between Sirius' legs and brushing his thigh against the outline of Sirius' cock. Sirius groaned and pressed his hips more firmly against Remus' leg, increasing the friction.

"I've been thinking about you all night, too," Sirius whispered breathlessly as they intermittently kissed and groped each other, pulling at their clothes which suddenly felt tight and restrictive against their bodies. "Kept thinking about how sexy you look in your Christmas jumper."

Remus snorted and grinned, pulling the woollen jumper and shirt over his head and discarding them on the floor. Sirius cast a lustful look over Remus' bare chest and grabbed him by the belt, pulling him close again. "Much better."

Sirius pulled him into another searing kiss, their tongues teasing against one another as they fumbled with their belt buckles and zippers, desperate to feel their hot, bare skin pressed against each other. Remus roughly pushed Sirius' jeans past his thighs and took his hard cock in hand, swiping the sensitive head with his thumb and stifling Sirius' moan of pleasure with his mouth. Sirius pulled Remus' cock out of his trousers and mimicked Remus' movements, taking a firm grip at the base and pumping his fist back and forth in long, smooth strokes, each time eliciting a delicious, shaky moan of pleasure from Remus. Their kissing intensified and their breaths came out in hard, shallow pants as they wanked each other closer to orgasm.

Sirius fumbled with his free hand for his wand and momentarily released Remus' cock from his grip to cast a lubrication charm in his open palm. He gently pulled Remus' hand free from his own cock, shifted his hips so that their erections were pressed alongside one another, and began smearing the lube over both of their cocks at the same time. Remus let out an audible groan of pleasure and used his left hand to hold their erections together, gyrating his hips back and forth as they continued frotting against each other. Sirius fisted Remus' sandy brown hair and pulled him close, crushing their lips together as they moaned and panted into each others mouth, edging closer to their climax with each stroke.

Suddenly, Sirius arched his back and bumped his head against the door, his eyes clenched shut and his mouth opened in a silent cry as he came, spilling his seed all over their cocks and hands. The come provided extra lubrication for Remus and he slathered it all over his own achingly hard length — the kinkiness of it was enough to push him over the edge and he let out a low, hoarse groan as he came, his cock pulsing hot semen all over Sirius' crotch and trousers. Funny how a handjob could make him feel so much better than a kiss.

A wild, heated expression burned in Sirius' eyes and he immediately sank to his knees and took Remus' cock into his mouth, sucking and licking his and Remus' come like it was Amortentia. Remus slapped his hand against the bedroom door to steady himself, his thighs shaking as Sirius eagerly sucked and lapped at his now wilting length.

"Jesus Christ…" he whimpered helplessly. Sirius pulled his mouth away and slowly ran his tongue over his lips, his eyes holding a predatory glint in them that made Remus weak at the knees.

"That was very naughty," Remus whispered in a low, sultry voice, tracing his thumb across Sirius' lips. Sirius wiggled his eyebrows and playfully sucked Remus' thumb.

"I can't help myself," he protested lightly. Taking Remus' proffered hand, he pulled himself back onto his feet. "You know I love sucking your dick."

Without warning, the door swung open and banged against the back of Sirius' head.

BANG.

"Ow!" Sirius groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "Shit."

"Whoops! Sorry, is someone in there already?" came James' voice. "Is that you, Padfoot?"

Sirius popped his head out of the door, trying to keep it closed enough to give Remus the chance to get re-dressed in privacy.

"Alright, mate? How're you doing?" Sirius greeted him warmly as Remus tucked himself back into his trousers and forced his head through his Christmas jumper. James took in his friend's dishevelled appearance and his eyes narrowed.

"Are you and Remus shagging again?" he hissed. Sirius gaped at him.

"What? No!" Of course not. We're eh…"

"Looking for our jackets," Remus cut in. Sirius nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yeah, we're just looking for our jackets. Harry's all settled in bed now and we're feeling pretty tired from the festivities. We figured we'd just make tracks."

The lie rolled easily off of Sirius' tongue and for a brief moment, Remus was convinced that James would buy the lie and they'd get off scot-free.

"Oh yeah? You looking for your shirt in there as well, Padfoot?" James sneered. Sirius blinked and then glanced down at his still bare chest.

"Ah right. About that…" he began. James rolled his eyes and thrust another guest's coat through the door into Sirius' hand.

"Just chuck that on the bed and come back down whenever you're done. Don't mess up anyone's coats!" he warned.

"We won't!" said Sirius brightly. "We'll be down in a minute."

James gave an exasperated sigh and retreated, muttering under his breath, "Pair of mangy old horndogs. I swear they've gotten worse as we've gotten older…"

Sirius closed the door and tossed the coat onto the bed.

"I think Prongs might be a tad pissed off at us," Remus mused lightly, fixing his belt buckle. Sirius waved his hand dismissively.

"Ah, he'll get over it," he said unconcernedly. "Could've been worse."

"How so?"

"He could've caught us shagging in his bed," he smirked. Remus snorted and pulled Sirius out of the bedroom and back to the party, glad that he'd decided to stick around for more than one drink.


	13. Dark Star

Remus woke early the next morning feeling surprisingly well-rested. He was glad that he hadn't had too much to drink at the party the night before as the hangover from last year's festivities still haunted him; he had lost count after the sixth drink, vaguely remembered a drunken game of spin the bottle, and playing seven minutes in heaven with Sirius in the cupboard under the stairs. What was undoubtedly a fun night was not worth the sore head and nausea that had assaulted him the next morning.

Remus rolled over and felt the empty space in the bed beside him. As per their routine, Sirius had gotten up first but had mercifully left him to lie in bed — no snow forts or rimjobs at the crack of dawn this morning, although he wouldn't have said no to the latter…

"Morning, Moony," Sirius greeted him brightly. "Breakfast's ready."

"Mmm, you spoil me," he yawned. Glancing up at Sirius, he raised his eyebrows in surprise at the amusing and unexpected sight before him.

"Why are you naked?" he asked curiously. Sirius stood at the side of the bed in nothing but an apron with 'Mr Good Lookin' is Cookin'!' stitched onto the front and a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" he pouted, lowering the tray of food onto Remus' lap. "Besides, the Naked Chef voucher was still in the chequebook and I figured now was as good a time as any to use it."

Remus' eyes trailed hungrily up and down Sirius' lean body. "Oh, I quite agree. New house rule, though — you can only cook in the nude from now on."

"I think I can manage that," Sirius smirked, reclining on the bed next to Remus and snatching a croissant from the tray. "You better eat up before it gets cold."

Remus looked at the contents of the tray and was surprised to see an assortment of pastries, toast and fresh fruit laid out for him.

"Where did you get all of this?" he asked.

"Popped out to the bakers this morning while you were asleep," he explained, taking a sip from the glass of orange juice. "I wanted to treat you to something a bit more appetising than my paltry cooking."

"I like your cooking," Remus protested lightly. Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes.

"There's only so many ways you can cook an egg and toast bread. Here…" he picked up a strawberry and popped it into Remus' open mouth. Remus chewed on the ripe fruit, enjoying the sweet, acidic flavour melting on his tongue. He fleetingly wondered what Sirius would do if he engaged in another food fight but thought better of it.

As they tucked into their breakfast and discussed events from the party, Remus suddenly remembered his conversation with Professor McGonagall. He recounted the details to Sirius, who listened with great interest.

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like a job offer to me," Sirius mumbled through a mouthful of pumpkin pasty. "What's the position?"

"She didn't say," said Remus. "She seemed a bit reluctant to tell me."

"Maybe Snape's chucking the Defence position!" said Sirius hopefully. "I always said you should have gotten the job over him. Maybe Dumbledore's had enough looking at his greasy napper."

"It can't be," Remus argued. "McGonagall said that she'd ask him to make the Wolfsbane Potion for me, so he can't be leaving."

Sirius let out a dry laugh, "As if Snape would ever do that!"

"I did say that to her," Remus paused before asking, "You don't think Reg is leaving, do you?"

Sirius screwed up his face and shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so. Mind you, I haven't spoken to him in a few months, so Merlin knows what's going on with him these days."

"I guess he never got in touch about whether he'd be visiting this Christmas?" asked Remus cautiously. Sirius grunted in annoyance.

"Not bloody likely," he said bitterly. "He'll be too busy playing host to my mother and the rest of our relatives to come visit me."

"He usually sends a card," Remus reminded him gently.

"Oh wow, a card," said Sirius sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Well, since he sends me a Christmas card every year, that more than makes up for ignoring me the other three hundred and sixty-four days out of the year."

"Sorry I brought him up," Remus mumbled. Sirius' shoulders sagged and he gently bumped his head against Remus' shoulder.

"I'm not annoyed at you, Moony," he assured him. "I'm just...you know…"

"I know," said Remus softly.

It was a subject that they had discussed at length over the years — Sirius cutting his parents out of his life was a clear-cut decision. The relationship with his brother, however, had been less straightforward. He didn't want to cut Regulus out of his life like he had the rest of his family, but inevitably their relationship had become strained over time. Their meetings always descended into an argument about their parents, Regulus begging Sirius to try speaking to them and sort things out and Sirius refusing and telling Regulus that he would be better off cutting them out of his life, too. Over the years, Regulus had visited and written less and less often until their relationship had been reduced to little more than an annual Christmas card. Sirius liked to put on a brave face and say that it didn't bother him, that the Marauders were his true brothers, but Remus knew how much it hurt him not having his brother a more permanent fixture in his life.

Sirius kissed Remus' shoulder and grabbed another croissant from the tray. "I think that's enough talking about my family for another year," he said breezily. "It's the first day of my Christmas holidays so you have me all to yourself for two uninterrupted weeks of sexual debauchery, if it so pleases you."

"That would be to my satisfaction," Remus smiled, surreptitiously lifting the bottom of Sirius' apron to reveal his—

"What on earth is that?" he exclaimed. Tied around Sirius' half-hard cock was a red ribbon fashioned into a bow with a sprig of mistletoe attached. Sirius grinned and wiggled his hips.

"Just a little Christmas present, Moony," he said delightedly. "You should really adhere to tradition and give it a kiss."

"I'm not kissing your dick," said Remus flatly. Sirius' smile fell.

"Why not?" he asked with a hurt note in his voice.

"Because mistletoe berries are poisonous and I'm not putting my mouth anywhere near them."

"I'm not asking you to eat the berries!" Sirius argued.

"I know, but—" Remus paused and his eyes widened with horror. "Oh Merlin, Padfoot, your dick's gone bright red."

"What?" Sirius' voice cracked and he looked down at his crotch. Sure enough, the skin around his groin was turning a nasty shade of crimson. "Shit! What's happening?"

"You must be having an allergic reaction to the berries," Remus explained hurriedly. "Get it off, quick!"

"I'm trying!" Sirius cried, his normally nimble fingers fumbling with the silky ribbon. "Argh, why did I tie it on so tightly?"

"Oh, in the name of Godric…" Remus grumbled. Snatching his wand he pointed it at the ribbon and cried, _"Alohamora!"_

The ribbon untied itself and the mistletoe fell onto the bed, but the rash on Sirius' crotch was only getting worse. He scrunched up his face in pain and scratched furiously at the irritated area, but Remus slapped his hand away.

"Don't scratch it! It'll only make it worse!"

"But it's itchy!" Sirius snarled. "Fuck, what do I do?"

Remus hesitated before replying, "We should probably go to St Mungo's."

"No," said Sirus firmly. "I am not going to the hospital and explaining how I gave myself a dick rash! What if I bump into Marlene?"

"Would you rather sit there and suffer in silence?" Remus challenged. Sirius gritted his teeth and crossed his arms in an effort to stop himself scratching the sore area. Remus sighed and grabbed Sirius' hand, pulling them both to their feet.

"Come on, we'll try putting some murtlap essence on it first. If that doesn't reduce the swelling, you are going to the hospital."

Sirius sat at the kitchen table with his legs spread, fanning his crotch with a folded up copy of the Daily Prophet, trying to cool the inflamed skin around his crotch while Remus dug through the cupboards for the medicine. After a few minutes of searching, he slammed the jar of murtlap essence on the table in front of Sirius.

"Rub that on the affected area and it should cool your skin and ease the symptoms. Use it liberally," he advised. Sirius unscrewed the cap and went to dip his hand into the jar, when he paused. He smiled innocently at Remus and offered it to him instead.

"Maybe you should do it?" he suggested lightly. "You know, there are some hard to reach areas that I might miss."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "You really are a chancer, aren't you?"

"You don't get if you don't ask," he countered. His grin broadened as Remus pulled a chair in front of him and took the jar out of his hands.

"Don't say I don't spoil you," Remus teased as he took a large dollop of the ointment on his hand and began massaging it onto Sirius' groin. Sirius sighed and wiggled his hips against Remus' hand.

"Mmm, feels nice…"

Remus rolled his eyes and continued to smear the ointment across the inflamed skin on Sirius' thighs, moving his hands deftly over Sirius' cock and balls. Sirius bit back a groan and his eyelids fluttered and closed. Remus smiled to himself as Sirius' length hardened and grew in his hand.

"Does that feel better?" he asked in a low, sultry voice as he swiped his thumb over the sensitive head. Sirius gasped and his breaths quickened as he bucked his hips up into Remus' fist to increase the speed. Remus, however, worked his hand slowly up and down Sirius' shaft, eliciting shaky moans of pleasure from him each time he deliberately pulled the foreskin over the glans and back again.

"Yes," he huffed out breathlessly. He reached out to touch Remus, but he gently pushed his hand away.

"Oh no, you're the one in need of treatment," he said silkily. "You just sit there and receive it."

Sirius let out a shaky breath and relaxed back into the chair, letting his legs spread further apart. Remus slipped his left hand lower, past Sirius' balls, and ran a slick finger around his puckered ring. Sirius groaned and shifted his hips lower, encouraging Remus to push his finger inside, but Remus kept teasing him, massaging the tight ring of muscles with his index finger, only applying slight pressure before withdrawing again.

Sirius gritted his teeth and grimaced, "God, you're a fucking tease. Just finger fuck me already!"

"As you wish," Remus drawled and slid his slick finger into Sirius' hole. Sirius' cock twitched in Remus' other hand and he let out a needy moan as Remus began sliding his finger in and out of his body to the same rhythm as the pumps on his cock.

"Oh god, keep doing that," he whimpered. Remus picked up the pace, his own erection straining against his restrictive trousers as he watched Sirius come apart at his fingertips. Sirius let his head fall back as his chest heaved, his breaths coming out in quick hard pants as his thighs began to shake. Remus could feel how close he was now and leaned forward to steal Sirius' breath in a searing kiss. Moments later, Sirius came, his cry of pleasure smothered by Remus' mouth pressed firmly against this own. His hole contracted and relaxed against Remus' fingers as his cock pulsed come over his bare thighs and stomach.

Remus continued to wank and finger Sirius over the crest of his orgasm, finally removing his fingers when the tension in Sirius body eased and he began to tremble. Remus pressed their foreheads together and ran his hands languidly over Sirius' taut thighs, watching with lustful admiration at the dazed expression on his boyfriend's face. When Sirius' breathing evened out, he opened his eyes and smiled dreamily at Remus.

"Thank you, Doctor Moony," he joked. "I think you've cured me."

Remus inspected the sticky mess on Sirius' crotch and grimaced, "Well, the come won't do much to relieve your symptoms, but the affected area is looking much better already."

Sirius grabbed Remus' wand and pointed it at his crotch. " _Scourgify_." As expected, the semen and murtlap essence instantly vanished. He sat the wand back onto the kitchen table and thrust the jar of ointment back into Remus' hand, a mischevious glint in his eye.

"Whoops! Looks like you're going to have to reapply it, Moony!" he said brightly.

* * *

The rest of the day was mercifully uneventful as Remus and Sirius spent their afternoon lazing about in the living room. Remus sat on the couch in front of the fire pouring over a worn copy of King Lear while Sirius had his feet propped up on Remus' lap, flicking through the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Their day of peaceful relaxation was abruptly brought to an end when a hoarse chorus of caws came from the direction of the living room window. They both looked up from their books to see a large crow perched on the windowsill, flapping its wings and squawking loudly, trying to get their attention. Sirius tossed his magazine onto the coffee table and jumped to his feet.

"Ah! Looks like my annual Christmas card from Reg has finally arrived!"

He opened the window and the crow hopped onto the windowsill, presenting its leg for Sirius to untie, not a card, but a scroll of parchment. Sirius snorted, "Looks like I'm not even worth the effort of sending a bloody card anymore…" He untied the letter from the crow's leg and it immediately took flight back out of the window which Sirius closed quickly behind it to stop the heat escaping the chilly cottage. Tearing open the letter, his eyes scanned the page then stilled. Remus watched curiously as Sirius stared at the parchment with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. Sirius didn't say anything for a few moments, glancing out of the window and back at the parchment again, his pale grey eyes glassy and distant. Remus sat his book down on the coffee table and rose to his feet.

"Sirius," he said gently. "What's the letter say?"

Sirius' head snapped towards him as though he were only just remembering that Remus was in the room. He blinked a couple of times as though trying to clear his head and raised the letter, "It's Reg. He um...he says mum died last night."

Remus felt as though a cold bucket of water had been thrown over him. He mouthed silently back at Sirius, struggling to find the words.

"I...shit." He knew better than to say sorry, knew better than to ask if he was okay — whatever emotions Sirius was feeling right now, it was a lot more complex than simple grief; it was beyond explanation. He lifted his hand to touch him, then let it fall limply by his side, thinking better of it. He swallowed hard and settled on asking, "What happened?"

"Dragon Pox," Sirius replied stiffly, staring at the letter again with a stony expression. "Apparently she's been sick for a while. He wants to know if I'm going to the funeral."

"Oh." Remus rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose that's up to you. You didn't go to your dad's funeral, so…"

Suddenly, Sirius strode towards the front door, but after taking a few steps he paused, swaying on the spot. He looked around the room helplessly, looking dazed, and gripped the doorframe to steady himself. He looked dangerously close to collapsing.

"I'm...not sure how I should be feeling right now," he said weakly.

Remus' brain finally bypassed the paralysing shock of the news and he realised what he had to do: take care of Sirius. He took Sirius' hand and led him over to the couch, sitting him down and pulling his head down to rest on his lap. Sirius moved sluggishly, but without resistance, his body tense as Remus stroked his hair. They didn't talk for a long time, both still trying to process the news.

"I can't believe he told me in a letter," Sirius piped up suddenly, his voice laced with bitterness. "He couldn't even come here to tell me that much. I know I wasn't in touch with her anymore but...why didn't he come to see me?"

"I don't know," said Remus quietly, struggling to quell the anger rising up inside of him. He understood that things weren't easy between the two brothers, but he could have at least broke the news to Sirius personally.

"I feel like I should be more upset," Sirius admitted.

"How do you feel?" Remus asked carefully. A long silence followed.

"I don't know."

"That's okay," Remus reassured him, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his temple. "There's no right or wrong way to feel about this."

"I'm angry at Reg," Sirius continued. "And I'm worried about him."

"That's okay, too." Another long silence followed. "Do you want to call Reg?"

"No," he replied quickly. "Not right now, anyway."

"Okay."

"You don't think I'm bad?"

Remus frowned. "Why on earth would I think you were bad?"

"My mum's died. I should feel more upset," he said simply. "That must make me a bad person."

"Do you think _I'm_ a bad person?" Remus challenged. Sirius looked up at him, a deep frown set in his face.

"Of course not!" he said forcefully. "You're the best person I know."

"Well, you're the best person that I know," said Remus sincerely. "Would a bad person bring their boyfriend breakfast in bed?"

Sirius let out a weary sigh and turned his head back towards the fire. "I suppose not."

"Would a bad person spend the whole evening entertaining his godson and reading him a bedtime story to help him get to sleep at night?" he continued.

"Maybe…"

"Or buy a huge chocolate cake to cheer his boyfriend up when they lose their job?"

"I guess not."

"Or perform a choreographed dance routine for his boyfriend's amusement?"

Sirius turned towards Remus and smiled. "That dance was not choreographed—"

"Rubbish," Remus cut in, grinning. "You definitely practised in front of the mirror."

"I did not!" Sirius protested, sitting upright now. "I'm just a naturally gifted dancer, Moony, it's not my fault you've got two left feet."

"Alright, alright…" Remus held up his hands in mock-surrender. "If you say you didn't choreograph that dance routine, I believe you."

"Good, glad we settled that slanderous accusation," said Sirius lightly, settling back onto Remus' lap. The tension in his shoulders had eased a little. He took Remus' free hand into his own and held it tightly.

"I love you," he said simply. Remus smiled and kissed the crown of Sirius' head.

"I love you, too."

Remus didn't know what else to say after that. He supposed that there wasn't really anything else to say. When apologies and words of comfort aren't enough, sometimes just saying I love you is all you really need to hear. Remus resolved to stay where he was, taking care of Sirius as he had always been there to care for him, still not entirely sure what would happen come morning.


	14. Mirror, Mirror

"How's he holding up?" Lily asked gently.

"About as well as you would expect," Remus sighed. "He's angry at Regulus for not coming to speak to him sooner, guilty about not feeling more upset about his mum...he thinks there's something wrong with him."

Remus sat cross-legged in front of the fire talking to Lily and James via firecall. Sirius had gone out for a walk to 'clear his head' and Remus took the opportunity to get their friends up to speed with what had happened the previous day. Lily had expressed her condolences and asked Remus to pass them on to Sirius, whereas James had been understandably less sorry to hear of the demise of Walburga Black.

"He's got nothing to feel guilty about!" James argued firmly. "His mother was an evil old hag, she doesn't deserve his tears or grief."

"James…" Lily scolded him gently but James persevered.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Remus. I remember all too well what it was like for Sirius during our school days," he muttered darkly. "His mum and dad both were evil. I'm sorrier that Sirius is suffering than that they're dead."

"As am I," Remus nodded solemnly. "But at the end of the day, she was still his mother. His head is all over the place at the moment. I think he's just going to need some time to process his feelings."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come over?" Lily implored. "Maybe seeing Harry will cheer him up?"

"Or we can ask Molly to watch him overnight if he'd rather it just be us," James offered but Remus declined.

"I think it's better just to leave him be for the moment. He'll put on big smiles and act the host if you come to visit," Remus explained.

"Okay," James sighed. "If you need us, please just give us a call. We'll be here at the cottage just in case."

Remus smiled sadly at them both. "Thank you. I'll be in touch if we need anything."

"Give Sirius our love," said Lily. Remus waved them off, watching as the emerald green flames flared and immediately extinguished, leaving the grate cold and empty. He sighed and slowly got to his feet, brushing ash from his trousers. He'd called Peter earlier in the morning and his reaction had been similar to James': more concerned for the well-being of his friend than sorry to hear what had happened. It was times like these that he felt fortunate to have the Marauders in his life; even if he didn't see James and Peter as often as he'd like to, they were always there for him and Sirius whenever they needed them. Which was more than could be said for Sirius' brother…

Remus stared out of the living room window, anxiety eating away at his nerves. It was snowing heavily now and there was still no sign of Sirius. He'd been gone for a couple of hours now and if he wasn't back home soon, Remus resolved to go and look for him. He hoped that he hadn't gone out, on the pretence of a walk, to see Regulus instead; he didn't think that would end well for either of them.

Just as Remus had decided to go out looking for Sirius, he saw a dark speck appear amongst the flurry of white blowing past the window atop the distant hill, gradually growing larger with each step. Remus let out a long sigh of relief. Well, wherever he'd gone, at least he'd come back in one piece.

When the door creaked open, Sirius kicked the snow off of his boots and brushed it out of his hair before slipping off his cloak. Remus stepped forward and took Sirius' cloak from him.

"Hey," said Remus gently, hanging it up on the coat stand. "How was your walk?"

Sirius shrugged. "Cold."

"You want a tea?" Remus offered. Sirius gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks."

Remus spent a few minutes prepping tea for himself and Sirius, wondering how he was going to broach the sensitive subject of his mother's funeral. He hated the thought of upsetting Sirius more than he already was, but knew that he had to ask what he planned on doing. When he reentered the living room he found Sirius staring blankly into the fireplace looking miserable. Remus handed him his cup and sat down on the couch next to him.

"Did your walk help?" asked Remus.

"Hmm?"

"Did your walk help?" he asked again. "You said you were going out to clear your head."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose it did," said Sirius, taking a sip from his tea. Remus took a protracted drink from his own cup before speaking again.

"So…" he said slowly. "The funeral."

"What about it?" asked Sirius stiffly.

"Do you know if Andromeda and Alphard are going?" he asked carefully.

"I popped over to Alphard's while I was out. He's going, but Andromeda isn't," he explained, staring into his cup. "And before you ask, I won't be going either."

"Right." Remus nodded. Well, that answered that question. "Still no word from Reg?"

"No."

The disappointment in Sirius' voice was palpable and it made Remus' heart ache for him. He didn't know what the hell Regulus was playing at, but he was having a hard time resisting visiting him through the floo network and finding out for himself. He looked up at Sirius and wished that he could take away his pain, but he didn't know how. Sirius always knew how to cheer Remus up when he was sad; he always knew how to distract him from his own intrusive thoughts.

 _A distraction_ , he thought to himself. Yes, that's what Sirius sorely needed.

"Right," said Remus heartily, slapping Sirius on the knee and rising to his feet. "I think it's about time we got ready."

Sirius frowned at him, "Ready? For what?"

"Dinner," Remus explained. "I'm taking you out. My treat."

"I'm not hungry," Sirius mumbled, staring into his mug again. Remus shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said lightly. "I for one am going out for dinner, to the Savoy…"

Sirius looked up sharply at Remus then. "The Savoy?"

Remus nodded, a slight smile teasing the corners of his lips, "Suddenly found your appetite, Padfoot?"

"Maybe…" he replied slowly.

Remus held his hand out to Sirius. "Come on, then. We'll get dressed up in our Sunday best, eat and drink what we can't afford, and enjoy it immensely. What do you say?"

Sirius looked at the proffered hand for a moment before nodding and taking it into his own. Pulling himself to his feet, he smirked at Remus.

"When you say your Sunday best…" he began, but Remus cut in.

"You can dress up as Cindy if you like, but you'll have to keep your knickers on," Remus warned him lightly. "This is a classy establishment we're going to."

Sirius pouted, "In that case, I'll just go as myself this evening."

"I'd like that," Remus smiled. "You make for pleasant company, whether or not you're in a dress."

"You love me in a dress," said Sirius giving him a sultry wink. Remus chuckled and patted him the bum.

"You know I do," he agreed. "Let's get ready, I'm starving…"

* * *

Within the hour, Remus and Sirius were sat at the swankiest restaurant in London, arguably the whole country. Usually, they would have to book well in advance to get a seat, but a subtly used Confundus Charm made that unnecessary. Remus looked around their luxurious surroundings, admiring the highly decorated coffered ceiling and the dark wood panelling that covered the walls. A grand piano sat in the corner of the room playing soft music as London's elite sat at their dinner, speaking quietly amongst themselves and seemingly unaware of the excessive grandeur that surrounded them. It was a far cry from what he and Sirius were used to, although Sirius looked like he fitted in better here than Remus did. He looked great in his charcoal grey suit and a deep purple shirt, with his long black hair swept back, lounging in his chair like he was sitting on the couch at home. Remus couldn't help but feel a little underdressed next to him in his navy blue suit and brogues. They'd bought their suits at the same high street shop but Sirius always managed to make everything he wore look more expensive by comparison. Despite his reservations, Sirius had assured him he was a 'hot totty'; he supposed so long as Sirius liked how he looked it didn't matter what other people thought of his appearance.

"It's been a while since we were last here," Sirius noted, glancing up at Remus from his menu.

"Your birthday last year," Remus nodded, taking a sip from his glass of red wine. "That was a fun night."

"Oh, it certainly was," said Sirius silkily, a mischievous glint in his eye. "The meal was nice, but I thought the dessert was more memorable."

Remus chuckled, "Oh yes, sneaking into one of the function rooms for a quickie was definitely the highlight of the evening. It was a nice room too, with all the frescoes on the walls. What was the room called again?"

"Gondoliers," said Sirius, smiling fondly. "You fancy checking it out again after dinner?"

Remus smiled and pulled one of the sex cheques out of his breast pocket and slid it across the table to Sirius. He picked it up and grinned broadly as he read, 'This voucher is valid for one tryst in a public place'.

"Was this why you wanted to take me out tonight?" he asked, slipping the cheque into his trouser pocket.

"Not the only reason," he admitted. "I thought coming here would cheer you up. I just figured since we were here and if you were in the mood…"

"I'm always in the mood," said Sirius sensually.

"Gentlemen, are you ready to order?"

A polite voice interrupted their immoral plan-making as a well-dressed waiter appeared by their table, ready to take their order. Sirius lifted his menu and pointed out what he wanted.

"I'll have the seared wood pigeon breast with wild mushrooms for starters, and the lamb shank as the main, thank you."

The waiter nodded approvingly, "And for dessert?"

"We're still deciding that," he grinned, winking licentiously at Remus. Remus suppressed a smirk and opened his own menu.

"I'll have the…" he paused mid-sentence as he felt Sirius' foot slowly drift up the inside of his leg towards his crotch. He glanced up from his menu to his boyfriend who looked innocently back at him. _Teasing bastard_ , he thought.

"Sir?"

Remus' head snapped towards the waiter, who stood waiting patiently for his order. He cleared his throat and tried to speak again, his voice a little strained as Sirius brushed against the growing bulge in his trousers with his toes.

"I'll uh— ahem, 'scuse me...I'll have the smoked haddock to start, and the—" Remus had to bite the inside of his cheek to stifle a groan as Sirius' foot caressed his erection. His speech stalled and a devilish grin spread across Sirius' face as the pleasure in his groin intensified and spread.

"And for your main, sir?" the waiter pressed.

"Steak," he replied hoarsely. "Blue."

"Very good, sir!" the waiter replied brusquely, snatching the menu from Remus' weak grip. As soon as the waiter was out of earshot Remus let out an audible groan and grabbed Sirius' foot, which was still firmly planted between his legs.

"You're a bad boy, Siri," he said quietly. Sirius' grin broadened.

"Are you going to punish me?" he asked in a low sensual voice, then squealed loudly as Remus tickled the bottom of his foot. A few heads turned in the direction of their table as Sirius laughed and squirmed in his seat. He pulled his foot free from Remus' grip and glared at him.

"Bastard," he hissed as Remus laughed. "I was being nice to you!"

"You were teasing me," he countered.

"A nice tease, though…" Sirius protested weakly and closed his mouth as the waiter reappeared to refill their wine glasses.

They didn't have to wait long for their first courses to arrive and the two tucked into the nicest meal they'd had in a long time, the chocolate cake from the previous night not included. Once they had finished their mains, they hastily paid for their meal and set out in search of the Gondoliers room.

"Do you remember where it is?" Remus asked, looking down the long corridor outside of the restaurant. Sirius took his hand and pulled him in the direction of the lift.

"Pretty sure it's back down on the ground floor," he said, pushing the button for the lift. After a few seconds the doors slid open and they stepped inside the gold mirrored interior. They were the only ones to enter and there was nobody else inside, and when the doors slid shut again, multiple images of their own reflections stared back at them. The lift shuddered and began its slow descent as they stood side by side, looking shiftily at one another.

"What do you want to do if the Gondoliers room is occupied?" asked Sirius. Remus thought for a moment then leant forward and punched the emergency stop button on the lift. It jerked to a stop and Sirius stumbled a little, looking alarmed. "What you playing at?"

Remus grabbed Sirius' belt buckle and pulled him towards him, a predatory glint in his eye. "I changed my mind about finding the Gondoliers room. I want to do it here…" he slid his hand between Sirius' legs and palmed his growing erection through the thin cotton trousers. He leant forward and pressed his lips to Sirius' ear, "Here you can watch me fuck you from every angle."

Sirius groaned at the thought and pressed their mouths together in a hungry kiss. Remus parted his soft lips and their tongues met, rolling and twisting together as they began pulling off their clothes. It wasn't long before they were naked and Remus pulled back to look at their many reflections in the mirror. He could see the many scars that covered his body, down his arms and legs and the ones down his back that he seldom saw in such sharp relief. Even after all these years, he had moments of self-doubt, especially next to Sirius, whose porcelain skin was unblemished; he was perfection and Remus was damaged, sometimes he felt unworthy of the love of the man before him. But the moment of uncertainty was quickly smothered when he saw the look in Sirius' eyes — he was looking at Remus' reflection, his dark grey eyes trailing along his body with a lustful expression that sent a fluttering sensation across his chest.

"God, you're so fucking sexy," he whispered, pulling Remus in for another kiss, his hands running over the contours of Remus' body, across his marked and scarred skin as though he were something precious to be coveted. Remus kissed back with equal enthusiasm, determined to make this evening their most memorable yet.

He spun Sirius around to face the mirrored wall and Sirius pressed the flat of his palms against the cool metal surface.

"Lean against the wall," Remus instructed him. "Bend forward slightly and spread your feet apart."

"Like you're going to frisk me?" Sirius teased, wiggling his hips. Remus rested his hands on Sirius' hips and nudged his cock at Sirius' entrance and he stilled.

"Exactly," he said quietly. "It'll make doing this a lot easier."

Remus sank to his knees in front of Sirius' arse and spread his cleft open, revealing Sirius' puckered ring. Sirius' legs began to quiver with anticipation and he couldn't help the needy moan that escaped his lips as Remus swiped his hole with the flat of his tongue. He shivered as Remus gently but deliberately blew on the sensitive area, cooling it with his breath before heating it again with his hot, wet tongue, tracing the tip of his tongue around the entrance and pressing in ever so slightly.

"Merlin, I could lick your hole all day," Remus sighed in a low, husky voice and leaned forward again, intermittently kissing and sucking Sirius' hole then running his tongue in a circular motion around the edge until Sirius' breathing got heavier and his arms began to tremble. When Sirius was good and wet, Remus climbed back onto his feet and lined his cock at Sirius' entrance.

"Ready for me to fuck you?" he asked casually, although he was feeling a little light-headed from arousal. Sirius lifted his hips up for Remus.

"Ready."

Remus took a deep breath and pushed his cock into Sirius' slick hole and Sirius let out a low, deep moan. Remus gritted his teeth and groaned, the incredible heat and tightness surrounding his cock almost enough to make him come already, but he took several steadying breaths before he withdrew, almost pulling out entirely before he snapped his hips forward again, knocking out a grunt from Sirius.

"Yesssss, fuck me like that," he whimpered. Remus complied, slowly pulling out before thrusting back in again, each time eliciting a grunt of pleasure from Sirius. The mirrors provided him with a great view of his own dick sliding in and out of Sirius' slick, tight hole. He could watch himself fucking Sirius in a fluid motion and watch the wanton expression on Sirius' face at the same time. He caught sight of his own reflection in the mirror, the muscles in this neck and jaw tense with concentration. There was something kinky about seeing himself get off and it only piqued his arousal as he watched intently while he fucked Sirius closer to orgasm.

"Fuck, Remy, I'm close," Sirius groaned.

Sirius had his head hung low as he panted heavily, moving his hips back to meet Remus' thrusts. Remus wanted to look into Sirius' eyes as he came, so he took a firm grip of Sirius' hair and pulled his head back until their eyes met in the mirrored wall.

"You like watching me fuck you?" asked Remus roughly, still pistoning his hips back and forth. "You like watching yourself get fucked?"

"Y-yes, fuck yes..." Sirius stuttered, his grey eyes growing wide and glazing over as he came, pulsing streaks of come across the mirrored wall. That was enough to push Remus, who had been teetering on the edge of orgasm for so long, over the edge and into sweet oblivion. The scorching tension in his belly snapped and he let out a low hoarse groan as he came, his cock pulsing inside of Sirius' body. He continued to thrust into Sirius, riding the crest of his orgasm until it was too sensitive to continue. His cock slipped out of Sirius' body and he wrapped his arms around Sirius' waist, resting his head on his back as he panted heavily, trying to get his breath back.

"We need to install some mirrors in the bedroom," Sirius suggested breathlessly, still bent over, his head hung low and breathing heavily. Remus huffed out a laugh and kissed Sirius' back.

"I'll see what I can do."

Sirius straightened his back and brushed his hair off of his damp face, still looking a little dazed.

"I like this better than the Gondoliers room."

Remus began pulling his clothes back on. "Yeah, it's not bad. You still want to see if the room's free?"

Sirius pulled up his trousers and barked out a laugh. "Fucking hell, Moony, your sexual appetite is insatiable!"

"It was only to have a look!" Remus protested, slipping his shoes back on. "Happy memories and all that."

"A likely story," said Sirius sarcastically, fixing his tie in the mirror's reflection. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave himself a once over before nodding in satisfaction. Remus smirked and shook his head. Only Sirius could look so composed immediately after being thoroughly shagged. Sirius caught his eye in the mirrored wall and smiled.

"Alright, let's go check it out," he said brightly. He turned and stepped towards Remus, fixing his hair and straightening his tie before smacking a kiss to his lips.

"There, you look great," he said warmly. His hand hovered over the emergency stop button. Giving Remus one last lecherous look-over, Sirius winked as he asked, "Ready?"

Remus straightened his cuffs and nodded with a grin plastered to his face. "Ready."


	15. When Stars Collide

Christmas Eve started peacefully enough. James, Lily, Harry, Peter and Sybil came over to the cottage for a Christmas lunch and to exchange gifts; James gave them a dog basket and squeaky chew toy which they appreciated immensely, while Lily gifted them an obscenely large Christmas hamper filled with all their favourite festive treats. Sirius favoured Harry's gift, which he had picked out himself, above all others — a stuffed dog that looked just like Sirius when he was in his Animagus form. While the large bottle of Ogden's Firewhisky from Peter and Sybil was greatly appreciated, the copy of _Unfogging the Future_ was less welcome and Remus suspected that it would be used as kindling before Sirius cared to read it.

After lunch, they sat in front of the fire chatting amongst themselves, Sirius lying on the floor with Harry playing exploding snap while James, Sybil and Peter talked about their work. Lily helped Remus clear up the plates and followed him into the kitchen to clean up the dishes from lunch.

"So..." said Lily lightly, a playful smile teasing her lips. "Sirius tells me that you and he have been working your way through that chequebook he bought last week."

"Did he now?" Remus grinned. He waved his wand and the dirty dishes and cutlery proceeded to form an assembly line by the kitchen sink, each one cleaning themselves in the sinkful of soapy water, then getting dried by a dish towel before stacking themselves back on the shelves. Remus and Lily sat at the kitchen table, watching with mild interest as the kitchen utensils floated across the small kitchen.

"You do realise that the twelve days of Christmas starts on Christmas Day," she pointed out. "Not on the fourteenth?"

"I know," he shrugged lightly. "It's a common misconception and I wasn't inclined to correct him. I didn't fancy waiting two weeks before I could start using the vouchers."

Lily bumped him gently on the shoulder, "You've got quite the Slytherin streak in you, Remus."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he smirked.

James wandered into the kitchen brandishing his empty glass. "Any more mulled wine?"

"On the counter," Remus nodded in the direction of the open bottle. James poured himself another glass and sat at the table with Remus and Lily.

"So, did you ask him?" he queried, taking a sip from his glass. Lily drew him a sharp look.

"Not yet," she muttered. Remus glanced between his two friends trying to work out what they were talking about.

"Ask me what?" he asked curiously. Lily and James shared a meaningful look before turning towards Remus.

"Now, don't be mad..." Lily began. Remus immediately tensed. Whatever they were about to say, he knew that he wasn't going to like it.

"We've been talking about your work situation," James explained. "We heard about what happened with Mrs Davies—"

"Who told you?" Remus cut in, embarrassment and anger swelling up inside of him.

"Molly," said Lily. "Apparently, Mrs Davies contacted her to warn her about you."

Remus squirmed in his seat. "And what did she say?"

"She said that you're old friends and that Mrs Davies should piss off and mind her own business," James smirked. Remus laughed out loud, surprised and relieved. He was shocked that Molly Weasley would tell anyone to piss off, but he felt a great deal of gratitude for her support. He made a made a mental note to thank her personally next time he saw her. Maybe he could make her a chocolate cake..?

"Anyway, after we heard what happened, Lily and I got talking," James continued, looking expectantly at his wife. She bit her lip and turned towards Remus again.

"We were wondering if you'd be interested in tutoring Harry," she said carefully. "Full time."

"W-what?" he stuttered, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, we're serious, Moony!" James laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. "You're a bloody good teacher in need of work, and Harry's getting to that age now where we need to be considering his academic future. There is a local school for magical children to attend, but we like the idea of having someone that we know and trust teaching him."

"So, what do you say?" asked Lily keenly. James and Lily looked expectantly at Remus, probably expecting him to be over the moon at such an offer. Remus, however, grimaced and shook his head.

"While I appreciate the offer — believe me, I really do — I don't think it's a good idea," he said cautiously. Lily and James frowned at him.

"What do you mean?" asked James, sounding confused. "Don't you want to do it?"

"We'll pay you a fair wage," Lily assured him, but Remus shook his head.

"It's not that I wouldn't love to teach Harry, you know I love him to bits, but..." He let out a weary sigh. "Look, I know you mean well, but I'm not a charity case. I appreciate your support, but I don't need you to step in and try to fix all of my problems. They're mine to fix and I'll manage on my own, thanks."

"We're not asking you out of charity, Remus," Lily assured him, touching his arm. "We're asking you because you're our friend. Because we trust you with Harry."

"And because you're qualified!" James added hotly. "Come on, mate, at least consider it a moment before turning us down..."

"I don't feel comfortable relying on my friends for my income," he replied firmly. Lily pursed her lips and James threw his hands into the air in frustration.

"Christ, Moony, why do you always have to be so stubborn!" he cried. "We're trying to help you!"

"I don't want your help!" Remus snapped. "This isn't like when we were teenagers, James, keeping me company on the nights of a full moon. I can't keep letting you guys rescue me from my problems for the rest of my life, I need to sort this out myself."

"Being noble isn't going to pay the bills," James countered.

"He said no, James," said Sirius firmly standing at the kitchen door. "Just drop it."

James turned towards Sirius and implored, "Talk some sense into him, Padfoot. Tell him it's not charity when we're paying him to deliver a service. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement! Harry and Remus get to spend more time together and—"

"I heard what you said," Sirius cut in moving to stand behind Remus. "And it's really kind of you both to make the offer, but if Remus doesn't feel comfortable doing it then you need to respect his decision."

"You said it yourself: you're living hand to mouth at the moment," James argued. "If Remus doesn't find another job soon, what are you going to do for money?"

An awkward silence followed because honestly, Remus and Sirius didn't know what they were going to do. He immediately regretted taking Sirius out for that expensive meal yesterday. It had seemed like a great idea at the time, but when they were faced with the real possibility of not being able to pay their bills it suddenly seemed like an impulsive waste of money. He looked between his two friends and felt conflicting emotions crash over him in a sickening tidal wave; he didn't want to be a bloody charity case for his friends to prop up, but maybe James was right — maybe he ought to swallow his pride and just accept their offer of help. He'd been willing to put his pride aside and beg Mrs Davies for his job back, but somehow being at the mercy of his friends felt that much worse. But then he didn't just have himself to think about, there was Sirius to consider in all of this, too. Should Sirius suffer for Remus' pride? The answer seemed pretty straightforward then. He opened his mouth to speak but Sirius clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly and spoke first.

"We've just hit a rough patch, guys," he said breezily. "Nothing that Moony and I can't handle together."

James screwed his face up with worry. "Are you sure you won't reconsider, Remus? It's not our intention to insult you, we really just want to help."

Remus glanced up at Sirius to gauge his reaction. Sirius gave his shoulder a slight squeeze and a look that Remus knew meant that he would support him whatever decision he made. The storm of nerves inside of Remus calmed a little, comforted by the knowledge that no matter what happened, come rain or shine, he and Sirius would always have each other's backs. He looked at Lily and James and gave them an apologetic look; he knew that they meant well, but he'd already made up his mind.

"My answer is still no," he stated simply. Lily smiled sadly and nodded in acceptance. James, however, looked despondent.

"I hate seeing you both struggling when you don't need to," he said miserably. "I don't know what else to do to help."

"Keep doing what you're doing, mate," Remus reassured him gently. "Keep being my friend. I just need to sort this thing out on my own."

James' shoulders sagged and he nodded, "You know that if you ever need anything—"

"You're just a firecall away," smiled Remus. "I know."

Sirius patted Remus lightly on the shoulder. "Right! Now that we have that awkward conversation out of the way, I should probably tell you that Sybil is through there teaching your son how to read Tarot cards."

"Oh Merlin," groaned Lily, rising to her feet. Sirius shrugged his shoulders carelessly and followed her back into the living room.

"I don't know what you're worried about, Lil, apparently he's quite good at it!"

The rest of the afternoon passed without further incident and when their friends left in the early evening, they parted as friends, the argument from earlier long forgotten. Their peaceful evening was interrupted, however, by an eruption of green flames in the fireplace and a young man with pale features and black hair came into view. It took Remus a few moments to recognise who it was.

"Regulus," he greeted him stiffly, sliding off of the couch and kneeling in front of the fire. "Long time no see."

"Remus," Regulus gave him a curt nod and his grey eyes, identical to his brothers, scanned the room. "Is Sirius here? I need to speak to him."

"He is but he might not want to speak to you," he warned him. He could hear the floorboards creak overhead, the sounds of Sirius pottering about in their bedroom.

"I know he might not want to speak to me," Regulus acknowledged. "Could you please tell him that I've called? I really need to speak to him, it's important."

"More important than your mother dying?" he sneered and Regulus' pale cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment.

"I know I fucked up," he said quietly. "That's one of the things I want to talk to him about, I want to apologise to him for how I've acted. Please, Remus, can you just tell him I'm here?"

Remus considered telling Regulus to bugger off and disconnect the Floo network, but despite how poorly Regulus had treated him, he knew how desperately Sirius wanted to see him. Remus gave him a hard look.

"If he doesn't want to talk, you leave without another word," he warned him. Regulus pursed his lips and gave a curt nod in agreement. Remus quickly rose to his feet and turned his back on Regulus. He half-hoped that Sirius would say that he didn't want to give his brother the time of day, but he knew better.

Knocking on the bedroom door, he heard paper rustling and Sirius' muffled voice shout out, "Don't come in! I'm wrapping your present!"

"I need to speak to you," he called through the door. "It's important."

"Alright, just give me a minute to finish up my wrapping."

Remus braced himself and said through gritted teeth, "Your brother called, he wants to talk to you."

A short silence followed and suddenly the bedroom door swung open. Sirius' expression was stony but the excited note in his voice betrayed him.

"Regulus called?"

"Well, you only have one brother," Remus drawled.

"When did he call?" he asked quickly. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"He's waiting to talk to you now," Remus explained. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah...yeah, I probably should," Sirius stalked past Remus and hurried down the stairs into the living room where Regulus' head remained suspended in the centre of the emerald green flames, waiting patiently for their return. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of his brother, the first time he had seen him in over two years. Remus stood by the foot of the stairs, out of their way but ready to step in if need be.

"Reg," he said, more of a confirmation to himself that he was really here than a greeting. Regulus flashed his brother a quick smile.

"Sirius, it's been a while." An awkward pause followed. "How have you been?"

"That's a pretty dumb fucking question," Sirius sneered. "A letter, Reg? You tell me in a fucking letter?"

"I know," Regulus grimaced. At least he had the good grace to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Sirius, my head was all over the place when mum died and...I know I should have come to see you straight away..."

"Yeah, you should have," said Sirius gruffly. "I was worried about you."

Regulus raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You were?"

"Of course I was!" he snapped. "You're my brother, I—" Sirius stopped himself short of saying 'I love you' and instead he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Regulus' eyes flicked from Remus to his brother, "I need to talk to you about something. Would it be alright if I came over?"

Sirius frowned, "What's this all about?"

"I have something important to tell you and I'd rather tell you in person," his eyes flashed towards Remus again. "And preferably in private."

Sirius crossed his arms and declared, "Anything you say to me you can say in front of Remus."

"This is a family matter," Regulus argued.

"Remus _is_ my family!" Sirius shouted.

"This isn't a debate on whether the family is a relative concept, Sirius, this is a legal matter concerning the Black Estate!" Regulus snapped.

"Do you want me to disconnect the Floo network?" Remus cut in, drawing his wand.

"No," the brothers chorused in unison. Remus rolled his eyes and moved towards the kitchen. "In that case, I'm making myself a tea. Tea, Sirius?"

"Please," he replied roughly.

"Regulus, tea or coffee?" asked Remus politely.

"Coffee," he replied. "Decaf, no sugar and soy milk—"

"We don't have decaf, Reg, and we only have dairy milk," Remus cut in.

"Well, in that case, can I have a masala chai?" he asked hopefully.

"You'll get what you're given," Remus bit back, walking away from them both. "This isn't a bloody cafe."

Sirius watched Remus walk out of sight before turning back to his brother.

"He's pretty pissed at you," Sirius explained.

"I noticed," Regulus sneered, then relented, "Not without good reason."

Sirius grunted in agreement. There was a long pause then Sirius said, "You can come over if you want."

Regulus hesitated, "Remus won't mind?"

"He won't like it, but no, he won't mind," Sirius assured him. Regulus nodded.

"Okay, just give me a sec, I'll be right back." His head disappeared from view and a few moments later he stepped out of the fire and into the small living room, still dressed in his teaching robes.

"Did you just come from Hogwarts?" asked Sirius curiously.

"Yeah, I'm spending Christmas holidays there this year." He stood awkwardly in front of the fire, unsure of what to do with himself. Sirius motioned for him to take the armchair by the fire and Regulus sat down while he took the couch.

"You said she'd been sick for a while," Sirius blurted out. "How long?"

"A few months," said Regulus. I've been splitting my time between teaching at the school and taking care of her. She knew that she was too sick to recover, the Healers said that she'd die within a few weeks, but," he shrugged and a fond smile spread across his face. "You know how stubborn she is. Was."

Sirius nodded slowly, absorbing the information as best he could. "Were you there when she..?"

"No," Regulus shook his head solemnly. "Kreacher came to me the moment she passed. He's been inconsolable since she died."

"I'm sure," Sirius muttered darkly. He had no sympathy or love for the house-elf who had loved his mother so dearly and who had favoured his brother over him. He didn't much care that he was upset, he supposed that Kreacher would grieve enough for the both of them since Sirius couldn't bring himself to lament the loss of a woman that he despised.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come to see you," said Regulus. "After she died, you were the first person that I wanted to see."

"Then why did you stay away?" asked Sirius desperately. Regulus shrugged.

"I knew how much you hated her. The thought crossed my mind that if I told you in person what had happened that you would tell me that I shouldn't be sorry that she was dead," he admitted. "I thought that you'd mock me for grieving for a woman that, for all that I loved her, I knew in my heart wasn't a good person. So, rather than face you, I wrote a letter. I realised immediately after I sent it that it was the wrong thing to do, but by then it was too late and I've been avoiding you the last few days because I've been so embarrassed by my behaviour."

Regulus stared at his hands the entire time he spoke, too ashamed to look his brother in the eye. When he was finished speaking, Sirius shook his head and sighed.

"For all your brains, Reg, you really are an idiot sometimes," he chastised, ignoring the indignant expression on his brother's face. "I thought I'd made this point pretty clear over the years, but it's probably worth repeating it — I love you more than I ever hated her, or him for that matter. I wouldn't mock you for loving someone or grieving their loss, give me some credit..."

"I know you wouldn't," Regulus argued. " I don't know why I thought something so stupid."

"You're upset. We all think and do stupid things when we're hurting," he acknowledged. He gave Regulus a searching look. "How are you coping?"

"I don't know," he admitted woefully. "My head feels like it's in a bit of a mess."

"Yeah, mine too," Sirius murmured.

Remus heard them talking through the kitchen door, unable to hear what they were saying but gauged from the tone of their voices that things were amicable for the moment. He sat at the kitchen table drinking his tea, deep in contemplation, when he heard the predictable sound of raised voices. He held his breath hoping that things wouldn't erupt like they normally did, but when he heard a particularly loud bang he sprang to his feet and hurried back into the living room.

When he re-entered the living room, both brothers were on their feet, their faces the same shade of beetroot red as they screamed at each other. At first, he thought Regulus was fighting with Sirius, but then he realised that he was trying to put something in his hand.

"Just take it, Sirius! Stop being a bloody idiot!"

"I don't want it!" Sirius bellowed, pushing Regulus away and turning his back on him. Regulus snarled and forced Sirius to face him, holding up a small golden key to his face.

"I'm not giving it to you because I feel guilty, I'm giving it to you because it's _yours_!"

"I don't want it," Sirius declared. "And I don't need it."

Regulus let out a dry laugh and cast a derisive look at the small cottage. "Now I _know_ that is a lie."

"Piss off, Reg," Sirius snarled. "And take your guilt money with you."

Regulus glowered at his brother. "You're so bloody stubborn, you're just like her—"

"DON'T," Sirius bellowed, pointing a finger accusingly at his brother. "Don't say that. I'm nothing like her."

Sirius turned away from his brother and refused to look at him. Regulus set his mouth into a thin line and shook his head in disbelief. He slammed the gold key onto the coffee table.

"Whether you want it or not, it's yours," he explained roughly. "It's been sitting there untouched since you left. If she really had no intention of giving it to you she would have closed your account and split the money between myself and our cousins."

"Or she knew that it would cause another argument between us," Sirius countered, glancing over his shoulder. "She was pretty fucking twisted that way, she'd get a real kick out of seeing us at each other's throats about her, even after she's died."

Regulus looked ready to launch into another argument, but he let out a weary sigh and rubbed his tired eyes. He looked exhausted.

"The money is just going to sit there regardless of whether you acknowledge it or not," he explained evenly. "Do whatever you want with it — pay your bills, give it to charity, throw it away, do nothing, I don't care."

He strode towards the fireplace and tossed a handful of Floo powder into the grate and emerald green flames erupted into life. He looked over his shoulder at Sirius who still had his back turned to him refusing to acknowledge him.

"I meant it as an olive branch," he explained. "If you want to talk to me, you know where to find me." He turned back to the fire and called "Hogwarts!" before disappearing into the flames.

"Olive branch..." Sirius snarled. He spun around and snatched up the golden key and tossed it into the fire after his brother. "This isn't an olive branch, it's a bloody insult!"

Remus glanced from the fire to Sirius. "Do I want to know what this argument was about?"

Sirius groaned and collapsed onto the couch, looking thoroughly miserable. Remus sat next to him and waited for Sirius to compose himself before he explained what had just transpired.

"Obviously now that mum's gone, Regulus is in charge of the Black Estate, all of its properties and accounts," he explained. "Including mine."

"Yours?" asked Remus curiously. "But you were disinherited."

"Yeah, well, it looks like my mum kept my vault on hold even after she blasted me off of the family tree tapestry," he sighed. "Reg has spent the last couple of days sorting through the family's legal affairs and he stumbled across paperwork concerning my inheritance. That's why he came over here; he's given me the key to the vault at Gringotts."

Remus gaped at him, "He gave you all of your money back?"

"It's not my money, it's my parent's money," he argued. "Reg is only giving it to me because he feels guilty for being a prat over the last few years."

"Well, what are you going to do with it?"

"I don't know," he groaned, putting his face into his hands. "I know we could do with the money, but taking it...it feels dirty. When I left home, I wanted to have a clean break — from my parents, that house, its money, everything. I'd feel like a bloody hypocrite if I accepted it."

Remus hated himself for asking, but he couldn't help himself, "How much money are we talking about here?"

"A lot," he admitted miserably.

Remus let out a long sigh and sank into his seat. They had spent the last seven years struggling to pay their bills and here they were contemplating whether or not Sirius should accept money that was rightly his. Remus concluded then that they were both mad. Mad and too bloody stubborn to accept help and turn down coffers full of Galleons when it landed on their laps. Nobody would judge him for taking the money; accepting it made perfect sense to anyone who didn't understand what it represented to Sirius. Yes, they were both mad, and stubborn, but they were resolute in their decision.

"If you don't feel comfortable accepting it, don't take it," Remus advised. Sirius looked uncertainly at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't think I'm being petty?"

"No, I think you'd feel worse if you kept it and spent it on yourself," said Remus. "I'd say burn it but the money's Goblin-made, so fire wouldn't do much. Give it to charity, or St Mungo's or something. Do good with something that's brought about so much misery."

"If I took it, we'd never have to worry about money ever again," Sirius pointed out.

"And you'd beat yourself up every day for the rest of your life for accepting it," Remus countered. "I'd rather be poor and happy than sitting in the lap of luxury with you feeling miserable. It's not worth it."

Sirius sat silently for a while, deep in thought. Finally, he gave a curt nod.

"I'll give it away. All of it."

"Alright," Remus took Sirius' hand and laced their fingers together. "Poor but happy."

"Yup," Sirius sighed. "Bloody brilliant."

"How much money did we turn down today, Padfoot?" he mused.

"Try not to think about it, Moony," Sirius muttered.

So they sat together, stubborn and poor, pissed off at their friends and siblings and, mostly, themselves, not feeling particularly festive considering it was Christmas Eve. Still, at least they had each other. At least they were happy.


	16. Good Boy

As the clock struck midnight, Sirius punched the air and declared, "It's officially Christmas Day! Merry Christmas, Moony."

"Merry Christmas, Padfoot," said Remus distractedly, nose deep in a book.

Their evening had been rather muted as they both mulled over the events of that afternoon: turning down large sums of money and job offers, arguing with their friends and family — it was like any normal Christmas, really. Thankfully, Sirius' mood had picked up as the evening wore on, the closer it got to midnight, the more excitable he became. When midnight finally arrived, he hurried over to the Christmas tree and snatched a small envelope from under the tree.

"I've been dying to give you this since I bought it," he said, trying and failing to suppress the excitement in his voice. He presented the envelope to Remus, who looked at it suspiciously.

"It's not another sex chequebook, is it?" he asked, but Sirius shook his head.

"I promise it's nothing lewd, illegal or dangerous," he assured him. Remus pouted as he took the envelope from Sirius' hand.

"That's disappointing to hear," he joked as he opened the envelope and pulled out a pair of theatre tickets. His eyes widened with surprise, "Oh wow…"

"Two tickets to see The Merchant of Venice performed at the Globe Theatre," said Sirius proudly. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," he said honestly. He looked up at Sirius, his eyes glassy with tears. He rose to his feet and pulled Sirius into a tight hug. "This is really thoughtful, thank you."

Remus pressed their lips together in a tender, languid kiss, the feeling a love and contentment filling him up like a hot drink. He really was a lucky dog to have Sirius in his life, his perfect match in every way. Too soon, Sirius pulled away and gave him an expectant look.

"So...did you get something for me?" he chanced. Remus bit his lip and stepped over to the Christmas tree.

"I did get you something. I was inspired by one of the vouchers in the sex chequebook," he began, pulling a small parcel from under the tree. He handed it to Sirius who started tearing away at the wrapping paper. "It's not as good as your gift, though..."

Sirius' eyes widened as he revealed the gift inside. He lifted the black leather collar and leash and gave Remus an appraising look.

"Oh, Moony, it's perfect!" he crooned.

"Yeah?" Remus nodded in the direction of the staircase. "You want to go try it out?"

* * *

Sirius knelt on the bedroom floor with his hands behind his back, naked except for the black leather collar and leash around his neck, his hard cock rearing up towards Remus who stood before him holding the leash loosely in his grasp.

Remus delicately brushed the stray hairs from Sirius' face with his free hand, the tender touch turning rough as he gave the leash a slight tug, not enough to hurt Sirius but as a reminder who was in control.

"You like being my little pet, don't you?" he said in a low, dangerous voice. Sirius looked up and their eyes locked. Remus tugged the chain, bringing Sirius' chin up.

"Yes," Sirius replied, a smile teasing the corner of his lips. "I like being your little pet."

Remus loosened his grip on the leash and said seriously, "If I do anything that you don't like…"

"You'll be the first to know," Sirius assured him. "Use me like I'm your play thing, Remy."

Remus smiled and ran his index finger along Sirius' jawline. "Oh, I intend to," he replied huskily. He gave the leash another slight tug. "Come on, crawl up onto the bed and spread your legs."

Sirius crawled along the bedroom floor and up onto the edge of the bed on all-fours, awaiting further instruction. Remus pushed his head down into the bed, "Face down, ass up. Spread your cheeks apart for me."

Sirius did as he was instructed, inching his legs further apart, then spread his cleft apart, exposing himself to Remus, his ass, cock and balls which hung heavy between his legs on full display. Remus took a moment to admire the delectable sight before he cast a lubrication charm into his open palm and began smearing the lube over Sirius' entrance. Sirius shivered under Remus' touch and his breath hitched as he teased his finger in and out of Sirius' tight hole.

"I've got another little surprise for you and I think you're going to enjoy it," said Remus softly. He slid open the bedside drawer and pulled out a black silicone butt plug. He gently pressed it against Sirius' slick entrance, taking his time to push it inside without hurting him. Sirius stifled a moan as the butt plug slid past the tight ring of muscles and fit snugly into his body. Remus had to bite back his own moan of pleasure as he watched Sirius' cock harden in response.

"Does that feel good?" he asked silkily. Sirius groaned in response and Remus spanked his arse, making him groan louder and his ass clenched and relaxed around the butt plug.

"I asked you a question," he said coolly. "Does that feel good?"

"Y-yes," he stammered.

Remus picked up his wand and pointed it at the butt plug and Sirius took in a sharp intake of breath as it began vibrating in his ass.

"How does that feel?" he asked softly.

"G-good," Sirius choked out. Remus sat his wand back down and patted Sirius on the bum.

"Good boy." he crooned. "Now, lie back on the bed with your arms and legs spread apart."

Sirius eagerly did as he was told, lying spreadeagle in the centre of the bed, ready and willing for whatever Remus had planned for him. Remus tapped his wand against the metal bed frame and ropes appeared. Sirius' eyes widened as the ropes began snaking their way around his ankles and wrists, spreading his arms and legs wider apart and securing them into place.

"Fuck yes," Sirius breathed, wrapping his fingers around the metal bed frame, bracing himself. Remus placed his wand carefully onto the bedside table and climbed onto the bed, straddling Sirius' hips and deliberately bumping their erections together.

"I'm going to tease you until you until you can't take it anymore and then I'm going to ride your cock like a show pony," Remus informed him casually, the tips of his fingers drifting lazily and teasingly across Sirius' chest and stomach. Sirius swallowed hard and gripped the bed frame more tightly, his usually cheeky retorts long fled his mind as he watched Remus' hands creep up his body towards his sensitive nipples. Even before Remus touched them, Sirius was squirming with anticipation, and when Remus finally brushed his fingers over the erect nubs he couldn't help the needy whine that escaped his lips.

Remus smiled to himself; he liked being able to get Sirius so worked up like this before finally giving him his release. He leant forward and gave Sirius' nipples a few soft, reverent kisses, savouring the soft pants and moans of pleasure that fell from Sirius' lips. Remus brushed his lips over the right nipple before sucking it carefully into his mouth and Sirius moaned louder now, his back arching beautifully off of the bed and his toes curled. The muscles and tendons in his limbs tensed and relaxed as Remus continued his teasing ministrations, teasing Sirius' sensitive nipples with his lips and fingers. Sirius' breaths became increasingly laboured, his chest rising and falling rapidly as the tip of his neglected cock leaked pre-come.

Remus kissed his way down Sirius' body towards his cock, which twitched keenly in response, desperate to be touched. Remus teasingly brought his lips close to the tip of Sirius' cock and he thrust his hips up helplessly, causing Remus to pull away and tsk.

"You're so impatient, Siri," he chastised softly, running his fingertips up Sirius' shaft, coaxing out a powerful spasm and another shaky moan of pleasure as he traced his index finger up the frenulum and over the sensitive head, smearing the bead of pre-come over the tip.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whimpered. "Please...touch me."

"Well, since you asked nicely…" Remus drawled and swiped the flat of his tongue along the full length of Sirius' cock before taking the tip into his mouth. Sirius mewled and thrust his hips up as much as he could into Remus' mouth but the ropes gave him little purchase. He could only stare open-mouthed and glaze-eyed as Remus' reddened, wet lips slid dexterously up and down his shaft while his fingertips crawled back up his body and gently pinched his nipples.

"Oh god!" he sobbed. "Oh god oh fuck, keep doing that!"

Sirius cried out in protest as Remus suddenly, and without warning, removed his mouth from his cock. His breathing got heavier as Remus straddled his hips again, his cock nudging against Remus' entrance.

"I'm going to fuck myself on your cock now," Remus told him. "Ready?"

"Fuck yes," he breathed and he let out a low protracted groan as Remus sunk onto his cock right to the hilt. Remus began rising and lowering himself off of Sirius' cock at a painfully slow pace, pulling out entirely before sinking back onto his length again. He was struggling to keep his composure, desperate to bounce up and down Sirius' cock until he came, but seeing Sirius so consumed with pleasure made him want to draw it out as long as possible. Soon, Sirius was whimpering and muttering incoherently, jerking his hips upwards in tiny desperate motions in a vain effort to increase the speed, but Remus kept up his torturously slow ministrations.

"Harder," Sirius begged.

"You have to ask nicely," Remus teased, gently tugging on the leash.

 _"Please!"_ Sirius cried.

"That's better," Remus drawled and began fucking himself as hard and as fast as he could on Sirius' cock. He could feel his own orgasm fast approaching as heat rushed through his groin and up his chest, catching his breath. He bounced up and down, over and over again onto Sirius' achingly hard cock until Sirius threw his head back against the pillow and moaned without restraint or a care for how loud he was, his grip on the bed frame knuckle-white as he clenched his eyes shut and cried out as he came. Remus' moans turned into laboured grunts as he felt his orgasm start to rise up inside of him, spilling over and streaking semen all over Sirius' stomach. He continued to ride Sirius over the crest of his orgasm, drawing it out as long as possible until the waves of his climax subsided and he began to shiver.

"C-can you switch off the butt plug please?" Sirius whimpered, squirming uncomfortably at the sensation. "It's a bit much now."

"Shit. Yes, hold on…" Remus snatched his wand from the bedside table and with the flick of his wrist the plug's low vibrating hum ceased. Sirius let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," he said breathlessly.

Remus flicked his wand again and the ropes around Sirius' ankles and wrists vanished. Sirius immediately wrapped his arms around Remus' body and held him in a tight embrace.

"I think I got the better Christmas present," he joked, pressing a kiss to Remus' shoulder.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Remus smiled. "I do have something else for later, this was just a fun little extra."

"Merlin, you spoil me," Sirius chuckled.

Remus rolled off of Sirius and lay beside him, running his index finger along the soft leather collar on Sirius' neck.

"I like spoiling you," he said warmly. "I must admit, I enjoyed having you tied down and at my mercy."

A mischevious smile spread across Sirius' face. "If you enjoyed this, wait 'til you see what I have planned for you tomorrow."

"Oh?" asked Remus interestedly. "Do I get a clue?"

"Nope," he smiled. "But I assure you, it will be the pièce de résistance of our sexual escapades thus far."

"That's quite the claim to make!" Remus laughed. "I've had lap dances, sexy massages, sex in public…"

"All shall pale in comparison to what I have planned," he declared confidently. Remus' curiosity piqued.

"Can't you give me a little clue?" he begged. Sirius just chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows licentiously at him.

"You'll see."


	17. The Greatest Gift

"WAKE UP, MOONY!" Sirius yelled, bounding into the bedroom and diving onto the bed like an excitable teenager. Remus bounced into the air and grumbled irritably at the intrusion; he'd been enjoying his long lie in.

"Yes, I know it's Christmas, Sirius, the presents will still be waiting for us when I get out of bed," he sighed wearily. "Let me get an extra hour, I'm bloody knackered from all the shagging we've done in the past couple of weeks."

"It's not that," said Sirius excitedly. "You got a letter. Look!"

He brandished a yellowish envelope in front of Remus' face and his eyes widened as he noticed the familiar handwriting in emerald green ink. He sat bolt upright in bed and snatched the letter from Sirius' hand, staring at it in disbelief.

"When did this arrive?" he asked.

"Just now," said Sirius hurriedly. "You've got a couple of other letters waiting for you, but when I saw this one I knew I had to wake you up. Do you think it's from Dumbledore?"

With all the drama in the last couple of days, he had completely forgotten about his conversation with McGonagall at the Christmas party. The same excitement he felt when he'd received his admissions letter at eleven flared up inside of him at that moment, the sheer possibility of what lay within the innocuous looking envelope set his pulse racing. With shaky fingers, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the parchment inside and began to read, "Dear Mr Lupin, I am very pleased to offer you the position of Transfiguration Professor—"

"What?" Sirius exclaimed. "McGonagall's leaving?"

"Let me read the bloody letter and I'll tell you!" Remus laughed. He cleared his throat and continued. "Your initial salary will be sixty-four hundred Galleons annually…"

"Not bad," Sirius muttered.

"As a full-time employee, you're also entitled to our basic health care package which will cover the costs of any and all medication required, including the Wolfsbane Potion," Remus continued. "Please plan to begin work on January 6th, 1986."

Sirius gripped Remus' arm and shook it so vigorously that Remus struggled to read the rest of the letter.

"If you accept this offer, I would appreciate your signing and returning at your earliest convenience a copy of this letter for documentation purposes. If you have any questions regarding employment policies and procedures, please do not hesitate to contact me. Congratulations again and a very Merry Christmas to yourself and Mr Black. I look forward to you both returning to Hogwarts in the coming days. Yours sincerely, Albus Dumbledore."

"YES!" Sirius punched the air in victory and shook Remus' shoulders again. "You did it! You bloody well did it, Moony!"

"I didn't do anything, this was all McGonagall's doing," Remus corrected him, but he couldn't help the wide grin that stretched across his face. He couldn't believe that McGonagall had gone to all this trouble for him. Finally, his dream of working at Hogwarts was becoming a reality and, best of all, he'd get to take Sirius with him. He flicked through the paperwork and saw a note attached to the last page written in different handwriting than the rest of the letter:

 _Dear Remus,_

 _I thought it prudent to explain my sudden and unexpected absence from Hogwarts and how you came to be offered the role of Transfiguration professor in my stead._

 _I have long discussed with the Headmaster my desire to do further research into hypertrichosis and other unwanted side-effects of sustained transfiguration, and we have both come to an agreement that I shall go on an extended sabbatical in order for me to continue my research full time. It is also worth mentioning that depending on how well my research goes my leave may become permanent. In fact, I expect that to be the case._

 _I am offering you this position because I can think of no one else better qualified and who I trust more with the care of my students. I have already spoken to Severus about providing you with the Wolfsbane Potion and, although it took some persuasion, he eventually agreed to do so. Lodgings will be provided to yourself and Sirius for the duration of your stay, which I hope will be a long and fruitful one._

 _I now leave the decision in your capable hands._

 _Take care and Merry Christmas,_

 _Minerva_

"Merlin's beard," Sirius whispered. He looked up from the letter to Remus, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Does this mean we're moving back to Hogwarts?"

"It seems so," Remus smirked. Sirius barked out a gleeful laugh.

"Oh Merlin, James is going to be so jealous!" he cried. "We'll have to get the Marauders Map back off of him, there might be some secret passageways we missed the first time around…"

"You don't mind moving into Hogwarts with me?" asked Remus uncertainly. "I know it's quite a commute to and from work every day."

"Do I mind?" Sirius laughed. "Mate, I never wanted to leave there in the first place! It'll be like old times, Moony, just imagine it — us wandering through the corridors after midnight again, only this time if we get caught we won't get detention! Weekend visits to Hogsmeade, exploring the castle and the forest at night, shagging in broom cupboards—"

"We'll have our own living quarters this time around, so we don't need to resort to broom cupboards and empty classrooms like we used to," he pointed out. Sirius pouted.

"I liked sneaking off with you into classrooms and broom cupboards," he protested.

"I know, but it's one thing finding teenagers canoodling in the corridors, they'll be less forgiving if it's one of the teaching staff."

"Fair point," Sirius sighed. "Can we still at least use the Prefects' bathroom?"

"Oh, definitely," Remus smirked. "As far as I'm concerned, we get first dibs on that over the students."

"Excellent," Sirius lay back in bed with his hands behind his head, a dreamy expression on his face. "It's going to be great, Moony. We won't have to worry about cooking anymore...Merlin, I've missed the feasts. Urgh, I'll still need to put up with Snivellus, it really will be like our old school days, but that's cool, I can learn to put up with him…"

"Regulus is going to be there, too," Remus reminded him. Sirius' smile fell.

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled, then shrugged. "Well, we can learn to live with each other, too. Or ignore each other... we seem to have mastered that already."

They made their way downstairs for breakfast discussing all the things they had to look forward to when they headed back to Hogwarts when the fireplace suddenly erupted into green flames and, for the second day in a row, Regulus' head popped into view. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks and stared at his brother.

"What is it this time, Reg?" Sirius grumbled. "It's Christmas and, honestly, I'm not in the mood for another argument."

"I know," said Regulus quietly. "Can I come over? I have something for you."

"If it's another vaultful of mother's gold, don't bother," he sneered.

"It isn't," Regulus assured him. "Please, it'll only take a minute."

Sirius crossed his arms and sighed, "Fine. Come on over."

"You're a glutton of punishment," said Remus shaking his head and walking into the kitchen.

"I know," Sirius groaned.

A few moments later, Regulus stepped out of the fire and into the living room, something small clutched in his hand. Sirius eyed him wearily.

"Well, what is it?" he asked cautiously. Regulus looked a little embarrassed but he held out his arm and in his hand was a Christmas card. Sirius glanced from the card to his brother. "What's that?"

"It's a Christmas card," he shrugged.

"I know it's a Christmas card," Sirius sneered. "What're you giving it to me for?"

Regulus shrugged again, "Because it's Christmas? And because I'm sorry about yesterday. And the day before that. And the one before that, too…"

Sirius sighed and took the card and inspected it closely. It was pretty generic in appearance, a snow-covered scene of Hogsmeade with Father Christmas flying overhead on his sleigh.

"There's something inside it for you," said Regulus. Sirius flipped open the card and immediately felt tears sting the corners of his eyes. Inside was a photograph of himself and Regulus while they were still at school. They couldn't have been any older than fifteen or sixteen; Sirius was sure it was the last photograph that they had taken together. Even in this picture, the two brothers were arguing about something, mouthing silently at one another as they elbowed each other to try and fit into the photograph's narrow frame.

"Where'd you get this?" asked Sirius thickly.

"It's mine," said Regulus. "It was taken a couple of weeks before you left home. I kept it because...you know…"

Sirius nodded mutely, the lump in his throat made it difficult to speak. He took the photograph out of the card and held it up to Regulus.

"You know, this is a better olive branch than a vaultful of Galleons," he mused.

"Yeah, that was a stupid idea," he relented. "Anyway, I just wanted to give that to you and say that I'm sorry. So…"

Regulus stepped back towards the fireplace but paused when Remus came back into the room levitating three mugs of tea towards them.

"Aren't you staying for a drink first?" he asked politely. Regulus glanced from Remus to Sirius to gauge his reaction and, after a moment, Sirius motioned for Regulus to take a seat on the couch. The tension in Regulus' shoulders eased and he sank into the squishy couch, taking the mug that floated towards him out of the air into his hands.

"Thanks," he said quietly. Remus sat on the couch next to him and shrugged carelessly, taking a sip from his cup. He didn't much care for Regulus himself, but he cared more for Sirius' feelings than that of his brother's. Sirius carefully placed the photograph and the Christmas card on the mantelpiece next to a photograph of the Marauders and one of himself and Remus out by the lake. He turned towards his boyfriend and his brother with a broad smile on his face.

"Did you hear the good news?" he said brightly. "Remus got a new job…"

* * *

The last thing Remus expected to be doing on Christmas morning would be spending it with Sirius' estranged brother, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. For the first time in as long as Remus had known the brothers, they managed to refrain from arguing. That in itself was a Christmas miracle as far as he was concerned. While the brothers had a rocky road ahead of them, it seemed as though they were finally on the right path again. When Regulus finally headed back to Hogwarts in the afternoon, Sirius looked the happiest that Remus had seen him in a long time.

"That's a nice photograph of the two of you," said Remus thoughtfully, peering closely at a younger Sirius in the picture waving and winking at him while Regulus stood to the side of the frame, scowling. Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus' waist and rested his chin on his shoulder, a relaxed smile on his face.

"Yeah, I'm surprised he kept it," he mused. "I'm glad he did."

"Yeah, me too," sighed Remus, sitting the photograph back onto the mantelpiece, happy for Sirius that things might get better between him and his brother. He turned and draped his arms around Sirius' shoulders. "Now, my Christmas present isn't as meaningful as a heartfelt reunion with your brother but I think you'll like it."

"Whatever it is I'm sure I'll love it," said Sirius. "So, do I need to proceed to the bedroom to receive my gift or…"

"Just sit on the couch," Remus instructed. "I'll go grab your present. I'll be back in a minute."

Remus left an intrigued Sirius in the living room to retrieve the Pensieve and the memory he had hidden at the back of the pantry. When he came back through with the shallow metal basin, he carefully placed it on the coffee table in front of Sirius and tossed a small parcel onto his lap.

"That's part of the gift," he said. "Open that first."

Sirius tore at the Christmas paper and frowned as he held a t-shirt in front of him with a lightning bolt on the front. Sirius glanced at Remus.

"I don't get it," he said, sounding confused.

"Just put it on before I show you the memory," Remus implored. "It'll make the experience more...immersive."

Curiosity piqued, Sirius shrugged and complied, peeling off his shirt and pulling on the t-shirt. Sirius ran his hand down the front where it clung to his pectorals and flat stomach.

"It's a bit snug, isn't it?" he mused.

"That's the point," Remus smirked. He pulled a glass vial from his pocket, uncorked it, and tipped the contents out into the Pensieve. Sirius watched with interest as the cloudy liquid whirpooled around the silver basin then slowed, revealing a street full of curiously dressed teenagers. Remus pocketed the vial and reached out for Sirius' hand.

"Ready?" he asked. Sirius took Remus' hand and they both leaned forward, dipping their heads beneath the smoky surface of the Pensieve, and were immediately transported into an unfamiliar street outside a building that bore the sign Hammersmith Odeon. Sirius stared at the long queue of Muggle teenagers waiting outside of the venue, many of them sporting tomato-red mullets and lightning bolts painted across their faces. Sirius' grip tightened on Remus' arm as he caught sight of a man in a multi-coloured leotard with a gold circle painted on his forehead.

"Moony," he said breathlessly. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Maybe," said Remus slowly, enjoying the look of shock and disbelief on Sirius' face. Sirius pulled him toward the front doors of the venue and let out an audible gasp of shock as he saw the billing read: David Bowie performing as Ziggy Stardust.

"July third, nineteen seventy-three," he muttered. He snapped his head towards Remus, his eyes wide with shock. "This was his last ever performance as Ziggy Stardust!"

"Correct," Remus smirked. Sirius lunged forward and smacked a kiss to Remus' lips. Pulling away, Remus chuckled, "I take it that you like your gift?"

"It's...fuck, it's amazing," Sirius cried. "How the hell did you get this?"

"Lily," he said simply. "She knows someone who attended the gig and convinced them to share their memory with us. I remember how gutted you were when you missed the show. I know this isn't the same as actually being there but it's as close to it as I could get without stealing a Time-Turner."

"It's better than a Time-Turner," Sirius assured him. "We can relive this over and over again! Did she say whose memory it is?"

"Eh, no she never mentioned it," he lied. He cast a furtive glance down the long queue and clocked a familiar dark-haired, hooked nosed boy in the queue, the only one wearing all black in the sea of colourful Muggles. Remus grabbed Sirius' hand and pulled him in the opposite direction. "Come on, the show will be starting soon."


	18. The Beast with Three Backs

A couple of hours later, they re-emerged from the Pensieve after watching the final performance of Ziggy Stardust twice in a row. Sirius collapsed back onto the couch as though he'd just been thoroughly shagged, swiping his hair from his face, looking dazed.

"Hands down, the best show I've ever seen," he declared. He turned towards Remus and gave him a warm smile. "That's the best present I've ever had. Thank you."

"You're very welcome. Now…" Remus rested his hand on Sirius' thigh and gave it a light squeeze. "What was this amazing Christmas present you promised me last night? The 'pièce de résistance of our sexual escapades', you called it."

"Oh yes!" said Sirius excitedly. "I almost forgot about that." He rose to his feet and pulled Remus up along with him. "This way…"

Sirius led Remus into their bedroom and sat him down on their bed. "Now, I'm going to have to pop out of the room for a bit. Make yourself comfortable and I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Without further explanation, he left the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Remus sat waiting patiently for his return, wondering what on earth he had planned for him this time. Maybe he was going to come back dressed in his corset and heels again? He rather liked that idea. Or perhaps another lapdance? He couldn't imagine what Sirius had in store for him, but he seemed fairly confident that Remus would enjoy it. A few minutes later Sirius re-entered the bedroom dressed in the same clothes that he had left in. The only thing he had brought with him was one of the sex cheques.

"Now, I have a bit of a confession to make," Sirius began. "I took this out of the booklet before I gave it to you because I wanted to save this particular sexcapade for last."

He handed it to Remus and he read aloud, "This voucher is valid in exchange for...fulfilling one sexual fantasy." Remus looked up at Sirius. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Well, we've talked about our sexual fantasies at length plenty of times. Tell me what yours is?" he asked teasingly. Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

"Well...you know that I've always fantasised about having a threesome," he began carefully. "But you know how I feel about bringing someone else into our bed."

"You'd get jealous," said Sirius knowingly.

"So would you," Remus countered. A stab of panic struck him then. "Sirius, you haven't…"

 _Knock knock knock._

Remus jumped to his feet at the sound of someone chapping the door and Sirius placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Whoa there, Remy, don't panic. Let me explain—"

"You shouldn't have set something like this up without talking to me about it first!" Remus hissed.

"I know, but I wanted it to be a surprise. Look, just...when you meet who I've brought, I think you'll change your mind," he implored. "Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me before?"

Remus doubted very much that he'd agree to whoever it was that stood behind the door, but he acknowledged that Sirius had, up until now, been a trustworthy figure, so he really ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. He eyed the door wearily.

"If I say no…"

"Then nothing will happen," Sirius assured him. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Remus hesitated a moment before giving a curt nod. Sirius rubbed his arm reassuringly and called over his shoulder, "You can come in now!"

Remus' mouth fell open when none other than Sirius stepped into the bedroom, or at least an exact copy of him, he was even wearing the same clothes.

"Hello, boys," said the man at the door breezily.

"Who are you?" asked Remus.

"I'm Sirius," the man replied. Remus' eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It's me, Remy," Sirius implored. "I swear on Harry's life this isn't a trick, no polyjuice or human transfiguration, just me."

Remus looked between the identical men, confused, "How is that possible?"

Both men simultaneously smirked and pulled gold chains from beneath their t-shirts and held them out for Remus' perusal. Each chain had identical sparkling hourglasses dangling from the chains. Remus gaped at them.

"Is that…" he stammered. "Is that a Time-Turner?" He jerked his head towards Sirius standing beside him. "How the bloody hell did you get that?"

"Borrowed it," both men chorused in unison, a slight smirk teasing the corner of their lips. Remus scoffed.

"Not bloody likely," he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, you know what they're like at the Ministry," said the Sirius standing by the door, tucking his chain back under his t-shirt. "If I'd gone through the official channels they'd have made me fill out all of that bloody boring and complicated paperwork, and they would have wanted to know exactly what I was using it for."

"Which is none of their business, thanks very much," the other Sirius added. He turned towards Remus and smiled, "So, I borrowed it. It's only for one night. Any longer and they'll notice that it's missing."

Remus looked between the future and present Siriuses and shook his head in disbelief, "You really take living up to the Marauder name seriously, don't you?"

Sirius cupped his cheek and looked deep into his eyes, "I want to make all of your fantasies come true, Remus. This was the best solution I could come up with to make this particular one work for you. But if you don't want to do this, if it makes you feel weird or uncomfortable, we can do something else."

"Like what?" he asked curiously. Sirius shrugged.

"Play a game of exploding snap or something 'til I need to travel back and close the time loop."

Remus looked towards future Sirius. "How far back have you travelled?"

"A couple of hours," he said.

"So...you've already done all of this?" he asked.

"Yup."

"And I enjoyed it?" he asked curiously. Future Sirius drew him a predatory grin.

"Oh yeah," he chuckled.

Well, that was settled then. He still felt a little nervous at the prospect of what they were about to do, but he trusted that Sirius wouldn't follow through with this if Remus hadn't enjoyed it.

"Okay," he nodded slowly. "I'm game."

Both Siriuses drew each other identical smirks and Future Sirius drew closer, standing next to his present self who looked giddy with excitement.

"Alright, let's do this!" he said brightly. "Now, what would you like me to do first?"

Remus looked between the two Siriuses and a deliciously taboo idea came to mind. He wasn't sure whether Sirius would do it, but he supposed there was no harm in asking.

"I want you to kiss."

A slight frown creased Sirius' forehead while Future Sirius smirked.

"Kiss...each other?" asked Sirius, glancing at his future counterpart. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, one contemplating while the other waited patiently for the other to catch up. Sirius' eyes lowered to his own lips on Future Sirius and he bit his own nervously.

"You know, I've always wondered if I'm as good a kisser as you say I am, Moony," he joked. Future Sirius took a step towards his present self and rested his hand on the other's hip.

"Now's a better time than any to find out, hmm?" he teased. "No time like the present."

Both Siriuses chuckled at their joke before falling silent again and slowly leant into each other. Remus' heart was racing as they drew closer and he couldn't help the small whine that escaped his lips as theirs finally met, hot desire pooling in his belly as their identical lips moved against one another. The kiss was slow at first, experimental and wet, as Sirius opened his mouth for the other to slip his tongue inside. Sirius let out a soft moan and Future Sirius smiled into the kiss, swiping his tongue across Sirius' lip before pulling his head back and leaving a trail of kisses along his jaw towards that sweet spot on his own neck. Sirius' breath hitched and his eyelids fluttered and closed, totally lost in his own pleasure as Future Sirius sucked and kissed his neck.

Remus watched open-mouthed as the two Siriuses continued to make out with each other, lips and hands exploring each other's bodies. It was the most bizarre and erotic sight he'd ever seen and he'd never been harder in his life. He swallowed hard, arousal pulsing from his groin like a heartbeat.

"Take off your clothes," he said roughly and they complied, shedding their clothes to reveal two, perfect, pale bodies, identical in every way down to the crude 'R' tattooed on his left arm, a remnant of their school days when they had been experimenting with sharp quills and a bottle of blank ink. Remus' eyes trailed down towards their identical cocks, both hard and rearing towards him. He resisted reaching out to touch them, half-afraid that this was a dream that he was about to wake from.

"Touch each other," he ordered. His own cock ached to be touched as he watched the two Siriuses take a firm grip of each other's cocks, both looking dazed and aroused as they began stroking each other, producing slick sounds that mixed in with their stuttering breaths and moans. Remus started palming his own erection through his trousers just to relieve some of the tension, he gave his cock a slight squeeze and it sent a flood of pleasure through his groin. He would have been content to watch them forever but Future Sirius finally pulled away and turned towards Remus, his expression heated.

"Your turn," he said huskily and both men approached him, Sirius stood in front of him while the other pressed his body against Remus' back. If Remus thought watching two Siriuses kiss each other was erotic, it was nothing compared to being kissed by them. Future Sirius stole his lips in another kiss while the other cupped his chin and drew him away, giving him a kiss of his own. Remus was struggling to catch his breath, his skin felt hypersensitive to their touch as two sets of lips competed for his own. He couldn't keep track of whose hands went where as they ran across his whole body, through his hair, along his back and across his chest, brushing against his aching erection, pulling at his clothes so that soon they stood naked, their bodies pressed flush against one another.

Sirius reached between Remus' legs and began stroking his cock, making Remus' back arch. He reached out to touch Sirius but he gently swatted his hand away.

"Oh no, I'm the one pleasing you tonight," he said sensually.

They guided Remus over to the bed and he lay in the centre while Future Sirius lay by his side and Sirius moved between his legs. Taking Remus' cock in hand, Sirius gave it an experimental squeeze before running his tongue over his length. Remus bit his lip and stifled a moan, but Future Sirius cupped his cheek and turned his head to face him.

"Hey, relax," he said gently. "Enjoy yourself. Let us do all the work."

He pressed a soft, reassuring kiss to Remus' lips before moving lower, claiming one of Remus' nipples, teasing it with his lips and tongue while his right hand pinched the other and rolled it between his thumb and index finger. Remus gasped and his back bowed off of the bed, his breaths coming out in short, sharp pants as Future Sirius left a trail of kisses along his chest, lower towards his groin.

He felt dizzy with desire as he spiralled closer and closer to climax, he didn't think he was going to last much longer. Suddenly, Sirius withdrew his mouth from Remus' cock and he looked down in confusion, then his eyes widened as he saw both Siriuses lean in together and begin lapping at his cock at the same time, their hot, wet tongues licking each side. Remus stared with lustful fixation as both Siriuses tongues met as they continued to lap at his cock, intermittently kissing each other and licking his shaft.

One of the Siriuses — Merlin only knows who, Remus had lost track of whose fingers and tongues belonged to who — began teasing his hole open while the other tugged gently on his ballsack while sucking the tip of his cock. Remus' toes curled as he gasped and groaned with pleasure, having multiple fingers and mouths on him was overwhelming but he was loving it. His thighs began to shake as he edged closer to orgasm. He reached out and touched them both on the shoulder and they turned towards him, their pupils were so blown that their eyes looked more black than grey.

"How do you want it, Remy?" asked Sirius hoarsely. "Do you want to fuck me or me to fuck you?"

"Yes," Remus panted. He felt like he was floating on a cloud and it was difficult to string a coherent sentence together. "I want both. I want to fuck you and get fucked at the same time."

"Oh my god," Sirius let out a low groan of desire at the mere thought.

"Yeah, we can do that," said Future Sirius smoothly. He touched his present-day counterpart on the shoulder. "I'll go in front and you take him from the rear." When Sirius gave him a quizzical look, Future Sirius explained, "I already came earlier."

"Ahh…" Sirius nodded in understanding. "Gotcha."

Future Sirius crawled on all fours in front of Remus and spread his legs wide for him, angling his arse into the air. Remus lined his cock at Future Sirius' entrance and began pressing forward. He met some resistance, but gradually the head managed to push past the tight ring of muscles and Future Sirius let out a low groan, his eyes clenched shut. Remus touched his hip and Future Sirius opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. Future Sirius nodded.

"I'm ready now," he confirmed, his voice a little strained. Remus took a deep breath and, taking a firm grip of Future Sirius' hips, he rocked into him, his cock sliding into his body right to the hilt. Future Sirius moaned and Remus stilled, relishing the delicious heat and pressure of Sirius' tight hole surrounding his cock. He wrapped his arm around Future Sirius' waist and gently kissed the back of his neck.

"Fuck, you feel amazing," he breathed.

"Are you ready for me?" asked Sirius, kneeling behind Remus with his cock in his hand. Remus spread his legs a little further apart and his pulse spiked as he felt Sirius take a firm grip of his hips and line his cock at Remus' entrance.

"Ready?"

Remus could only nod in response, then let out a protracted groan as Sirius' cock nudged against his hole and slowly slid inside of him.

"How does that feel?" asked Sirius in a low, hoarse voice.

"Amazing," Remus whimpered and he tentatively moved his hips forwards. Soon their three bodies moved together, thrusting back and forth into one another, and what started as a slow, steady motion of thrusts soon became more wild—more desperate—as they fucked each other closer and closer to release.

Remus' pants became increasingly laboured, his head was spinning at the exquisite pressure thrumming from his cock and arse. Everything else beyond those four walls fell away as the world was reduced simply to what he could feel, just cock and arse, heat and sweat, just the three of them rutting against each other back and forth like animals, totally lost in the sensations of each other. Remus gasped and groaned without restraint now, overwhelmed by the dual sensation of his cock sliding in and out of Future Sirius' body as Sirius' cock fucked him in his own arse in perfect synchronicity.

Something primaeval triggered in him, that savage, barbaric beast within that he had spent so long trying to suppress and control, his truest form finally reared its wild head and he rammed into his boyfriend's arse, claiming him as his own.

"Mine," he growled, pistoning back and forth as Future Sirius mewled and rocked his hips back to meet Remus' thrusts. Sirius snarled in response, biting into Remus' shoulder and sending a delicious spark of pain and pleasure shooting through his body. Their panting breaths, and moans, and skin slapping against bare skin grew louder as they reached their crescendo. Remus' breathing stuttered and his body tensed.

And then he was free-falling.

Remus threw his head back and howled as he came, his powerful orgasm consuming him entirely in a stuttering moment of euphoria, and then it was gone. The wild animal which had clawed its way to the surface only moments before quietly receded, sated. Remus' legs began to tremble and he leaned forward to hug Sirius and was momentarily confused as to where the extra pair of hands caressing his hair and shoulders had come from. As the intense pleasure subsided, Remus' entire body pulsed with a warm afterglow.

Sirius carefully pulled his wilting erection from Remus' body and let out a low whistle, "Wow, that was intense. I don't know about you, Moony, but give me a few minutes to catch my breath and I think I'm ready for round two!"

"You better be," Future Sirius mumbled, lying face down on the bed trying to gather his senses. "You're going to have to make tracks soon if you're going to close the time loop."

"Bugger," he sighed. "Are you alright taking care of Remy then?"

"We're good," Future Sirius waved himself off. "Safe travels. Three turns should do it."

"Alright." Sirius quickly smacked a kiss to Remus' lips before hopping off of the bed. Remus collapsed onto his back, exhausted, watching Sirius quickly pull his clothes back on. He only took a couple steps out of the bedroom before he realised he had forgotten the Time-Turner.

"Whoops! Won't be going anywhere without that, will I?" he winked licentiously at Remus before disappearing from sight for the last time. "See you in a minute for round two!"

Remus waved him off before rolling towards the now present-day Sirius, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Sirius Black, you are many things in this life: Marauder. Gryffindor. Amazing boyfriend. You just added Sex God to the list," he declared. Sirius huffed out a tired laugh, sounding as though he were falling asleep.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your Christmas present."

"Enjoy doesn't cut it, you just blew my mind. I don't know how we're going to enjoy normal sex after that," he joked. Sirius rolled over to face Remus, his expression serious.

"Is that a challenge?" he teased. Remus smirked.

"Maybe…"

Sirius gently brushed the stray hairs from Remus' face before cupping his cheek, his warm grey eyes full of love and affection.

"You know that I love you," he said softly. Remus rested his hand against Sirius' and smiled.

"I love you, too."

Sirius fell asleep soon after but Remus lay wide awake, cuddled into Sirius' arms and his eyes fixed on the Time-Turner resting on Sirius' bare chest. It had been an inspired idea to use it in Remus' opinion. Only Sirius would take something so powerful and never consider using it for more nefarious purposes than having a threesome with his boyfriend and himself. Remus on the other hand…

He knew he couldn't use it, he knew fine well the rules of time travel — going back in time any more than five hours risked irreparable damage to the timeline — but there was no harm in thinking about what could have been. How easy would it be to slip the chain off of Sirius' neck and go back to that fateful night when Greyback bit him. If he stopped that from happening, then his life would be so much better. He wouldn't have to suffer the painful monthly transformations for the rest of his life, suffer years of losing his mind and himself during the full moon, he could avoid the humiliation of being turned down jobs and losing others because of something that was outside of his control, that he never asked for. He wouldn't have to struggle to afford his medicine and pay his bills. He could be happy and whole and untainted. Everything would be better.

He glanced at Sirius' sleeping form and felt the familiar rush of love and affection rise up in him. He imagined what things would be like between them if he'd never been bitten, but then he began to wonder just how different things would be. If he had experienced a normal childhood in the company of other children, he probably would have had friends waiting for him on Platform 9 ¾. Instead, he sat in a compartment alone until three boys who would become his lifelong friends had entered the compartment and changed his life forever. Would he still have become friends with James, Peter and Sirius that first day on the train if he had been sitting with other children? Would they have become Animagi to help him during his transformations and gone on all of their adventures together? Would he and Sirius ever have fallen in love? Would they even know each other in this better life?

Different, but not necessarily better, he realised.

The Time-Turner gleamed tantalisingly in the soft moonlight, beckoning him to take a chance, but Remus resisted the temptation. For all his struggles in life and all the heartache he had suffered, was it worth risking his life with Sirius in the small chance of a better life?

The hell it was.

Remus' life wasn't perfect, but then life wasn't about attaining perfection. Life was merely a series of moments. He thought of all the countless little moments he and Sirius had together that combined to make a life, and he realised that his life, for all its faults and problems, was good. Life was good. He was in bed with the man he loved and he was happy. He already had more than most could ever hope for in life.

Remus closed his eyes and let sleep take him, content to be where he was and for the first time in his life, truly content to be himself.


	19. Epilogue

"It'll be Emily's birthday soon," said Sirius thoughtfully. "What should we get her this year?"

Remus looked up from the pile of Transfiguration homework he'd been marking with a thoughtful expression. His goddaughter, Emily, was about to celebrate her second birthday.

"I think she's ready for her first broomstick, don't you agree?" he suggested. Sirius grinned.

"Excellent suggestion, Moony! Soon we'll have her flying about as much as Harry. I swear that boy is part bird; he spends more time flying than walking," he joked.

Remus turned his attention back to the piece of homework he'd been marking, scribbling a few corrections in the margins. "I think there's a good chance his Animagus form would be a bird. It might be something James should consider teaching him when he's older."

A lot had happened in the two years since Remus had received his letter from Dumbledore offering the position of Transfiguration Master at Hogwarts. Lily had been admitted to St Mungo's a few days after Christmas and on New Year's Day, Emily had come into the world.

"Prongs has sent a picture of them," said Sirius, handing the photograph to Remus. He smiled at the two children in the photograph: Harry, the spitting image of his father with his messy black hair, had his little sister on his lap, who was more like her mother with flaming red hair, except for her warm brown doe eyes which were just like her father.

"Harry's getting big," Remus pointed out, rising to his feet and walking over to the small fireplace by their bed. "I think he'll be tall, like James."

He placed the photograph on the mantelpiece next to a newer picture of Sirius and his brother Regulus. It had been taken at the Christmas feast last year, their first since they had graduated as students and Remus had returned as a member of staff. It was nice to finally see a picture of the two of them laughing and joking with one another.

"Whose homework is this?" Sirius laughed, picking up a piece of parchment that had a large ink splotch on the bottom of the page, but that wasn't what had caught Sirius' attention. Remus climbed back into bed next to Sirius and took the parchment from him to inspect it more closely. He rolled his eyes and stuffed it at the bottom of the pile.

"It's nothing," he sighed.

"There were little love hearts scribbled in the margins, Moony," Sirius teased. "Have you got your first confirmed student crush?"

"Don't be daft!" Remus spluttered. Sirius laughed and bumped their shoulders together while Remus' cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"Well, whoever they are, I can't blame them. I mean—look at you—you are very sexy," he purred. "Especially in your teacher's robes."

He crawled onto Remus' lap and laced his fingers through Remus' soft, sandy-brown hair. Remus' eyes darkened, half-lidded and full of want. He took a firm grip of Sirius' hips and brushed their lips together.

"Would you like me to put on my robes and teach you a lesson, Mr Black?" he teased.

"I'd love that," Sirius breathed, his nimble fingers slowly unbuttoning Remus' shirt. "I've been very bad, Professor Lupin. I think I need to be punished."

Remus' hand slid over the globes of Sirius' arse and gave his cheeks a firm squeeze. "Then I'll need to bend you over my knee and spank you."

Sirius crushed their lips together in a messy kiss, their tongues massaging against one another as they pulled at each other's clothes. Just as Sirius' hand slipped beneath Remus' trousers they both paused as they heard the sound of a baby crying. Remus sighed and rested his head on Sirius' shoulder.

"Every bloody time…" Remus chuckled. He checked his watch and said, "She's due a feed now. You want me to get this one?"

"No, you stay where you are, I'll see to her," Sirius pressed another tender kiss to Remus' lips before climbing off of the bed and padding out of the room towards the crying infant. The teacher's living quarters were small, but Professor Dumbledore had gone to the effort of having a nursery created for Remus and Sirius. A few minutes later, Sirius re-entered the bedroom carrying their baby daughter in his arms.

"She feeds like a bloody horse," he joked, gently rubbing and patting her small back. "She definitely takes her appetite after you."

Sirius climbed onto the bed and lay the small infant between them, her soft grey eyes wide and alert to her surroundings. Remus reclined next to her and caressed her sandy-brown hair and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. He didn't think it was possible to love one person as much as he did Ayla, it filled him up to the brim and spilled over the edges, a bottomless well that had finally sated that hunger that both he and Sirius had been trying to fill their whole lives. Sirius lay on Ayla's other side and let out a contented sigh, looking dreamily at their daughter.

"I want another one," he declared. Remus gaped at him.

"What are you on about?" he cried. "We only just got this one!"

"I know!" Sirius groaned. "But I want more! Look how perfect she is? Imagine if we had a litter of them? Enough to form our own Quidditch team!"

"You're off your bloody head," Remus laughed. Sirius touched his elbow and gave him a serious look.

"I don't mean right now obviously, but I would like to have more," he said. "Will you think about it?"

Remus gave him a warm smile and nodded. "Alright, I'll think about it. Not right now, though, I'm still trying to get to grips with this parenting thing."

"Okay," said Sirius brightly. "Maybe next year!"

Remus smiled and said nothing. He rather liked the idea of having more kids, too. To have a couple of siblings for Ayla to grow up with, more little ones to share stories and knowledge with, more people to love...yes, adding more cubs to their little pack sounded like a grand idea.

Sirius yawned and stretched like a feline on the bed. "Shall we try and get some sleep? I'm up early in the morning."

Remus nodded and grabbed his wand. "Sounds good."

He drew his wand in a wide arc above their heads, extinguishing the lights in the bedroom to reveal a blanket of stars twinkling overhead. Remus lay under the starry night sky with the two bright stars in his life, listening to their soft breaths as they slept soundly beside him, no longer dreaming of a better life. He was already living it.


End file.
